Finally hit ------ miles tonight

Ended up doing an extra unplanned trip today and put 117 miles on #140. I charged for approx 5 1/2 hours on 110 while at work and due to the holidays, the freeways were pretty open with not much opportunity for regen. The light traffic combined with the extra trip to Redondo Beach this evening brought about my first flat line ( ---- miles). Based on others experience, I wasn't to worried about not making it home. Loving the car and now that I'm past this milestone, I'll feel a little less worried next time it happens which probably won't be to often. :)

Hailey asked Santa for a lease extension and....

Okay, so I know this is hard to believe and I may have helped with the wording but Hailey asked Santa for something really special this year. She asked for a lease extension on the MINI E until the BMW ActiveE is available for testing and then to top it off, she asked if we could be part of the ActiveE field trial. With the four seats in the ActiveE, we'd be able to go everywhere as a family. Santa promised he'd talk to Richard Steinberg and the other folks at BMW about it. I sure hope her wish comes true.

11,500 and climbing

The MINI E continues to meld into our daily lives and now is basically taken for granted. This is a good thing. I have no doubt when I take off that I'll get where I'm going and have a great driving experience too. The 100% torque is always fun and continues to wake up passengers.

Was happy to see the article about the next EV vehicle from BMW, Concept ActiveE. Check out the press release that's part of Autoblog's posting at:

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/detroit-preview-bmw-concept-activee-set-to-amp-up-1-series/

As I read through the press release, it became apparent that BMW has noted many of the comments folks in the MINI E trial have made and implemented them with this next generation.

If given the opportunity, I'd be thrilled to be part of the Concept ActiveE field trial.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Interesting MINI E Battery Info

In today's MINI E weekly update, they shared some interesting info about the battery that powers the MINI E:

BASIC BATTERY MATH

Have you ever wondered where energy is stored in the MINI E? We all know the High Voltage battery occupies the space normally reserved for rear seat passengers in a MINI Cooper, but did you know the HV battery in the MINI E is actually an assembly of 5088 individual cells which work together to handle the energy storage functions for the car’s propulsion system?

The voltage for the HV battery system is approximately 390V when fully charged, but each of the 5088 cells has a much lower voltage. To start, 53 cells are connected in parallel to form what is called a unit. Much like setting glasses of water next to each other, connecting batteries in parallel does not alter the voltage, or pressure, but increases the storage capacity, or volume of the assembly. Next, two units are connected in series to form a module which roughly doubles the voltage. Mounting batteries in series is what is typically done in a flashlight with 1.5V alkaline cells – they are connected end to end from the positive to negative terminal, to increase voltage. The following step provides a dramatic increase in voltage by connecting 48 modules, in series, turning the 5088 cells into the full voltage HV battery. The complete battery assembly is mounted within three metal battery cases found underneath the neatly upholstered dome in the back of each MINI E, and weighs in at 573 pounds. Now you have a lot more to think about each time you plug in to recharge your favorite car.

10,000 Miles and climbing

I finally hit the 10,000 mile mark back on 11/20/09. With the holidays and all, I've been a little behind on my blog postings. Finally, with the addition of the large plug sticker on each door, folks are starting to notice the car more. I've gotten quite a few thumbs up of late. The car is driving great and continues to be a blast to drive. Driving clean doesn't have to be boring and the MINI E does a great job of adding excitement to my daily commute.

That's our daughter in the picture and she loves the MINI E as much as we do. Hopefully by the time she's driving, there will be many electric cars to choose from. She's very excited about electric cars and is frequently saying how she doesn't like riding in "stinky gas cars". A few weeks ago we drove the MINI E up to Glendale, CA to check out the Leaf. It was a lot of fun and we both had our picture taken with the Leaf.