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Mini E Owner Eclipses 21,000 Miles in 8 Months, Range Not a Problem

 
1,829 views Feb 24, 2010

Mini E Owner

Mini E Owner

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With range limitations it would seem unlikely that you could drive an electric vehicle a total of 21,000 miles in just 8 months, but it apparently can be done.  Just ask Mini E driver Tom Moloughney and he will tell you that this feat is certainly within the reach of an electric vehicle.

Moloughney owns a restaurant in New Jersey and makes a daily trek to the restaurant from his home.  He has installed two high voltage charging stations to accommodate his vehicle, one at his home and the other at the restaurant.  Aside from daily commuting, Moloughney says that he uses his Mini E for everything including pizza delivery services, and transporting restaurant supplies.

Moloughney averages roughly 130 miles per day in his Mini which works out to his 21,000 miles total.  By plugging in for 3.5 hours a day at work, he could indeed travel even more than he does now.  Moloughney believes that 200 miles per day would be feasible with his current charging setup, he also anticipates a total of 35,000 miles before the end of the lease.

Here's some interesting facts that Moloughney released to Edmunds Inside Line regarding his Mini E.

  • Most miles driven on a single charge: 128 (85 degrees outside, drove about 40 mph)
  • Least range seen on a single charge: 65 (15 degrees outside, drove 85-90 mph for 45 miles)
  • Most miles driven in a week: 950
  • Most miles driven in a single day: 177
  • Cost to charge the car since June: About $650
  • Continuous A/C use cuts the range by about 8-10 percent.
  • Continuous heater use cuts the range by about 20 percent.

For those who still believe that EVs are limited by range, it appears evident that with the right planning, range is a non-issue.  How many drivers of gasoline vehicles have tallied 21,000 miles in a mere 8 months?

Source:  Edmunds Inside Line





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Comments (7)

  1. By Carlo Posted: 2/24/2010 5:46am PST

    Wow, that's a lot of miles. It is definitely good PR for electric cars in general.
     
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  2. By Mark Posted: 2/24/2010 5:53am PST

    I am skeptical of BWM's EV intentions, why did they charge people to test their car, why were the cars conversions or EV hackjobs instead of purpose built Mini EVs. I take Nissan a lot more seriously.
     
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  3. By Jerry O Posted: 2/24/2010 8:52am PST

    Mark, BMW has created a whole division for electric/alternative fuel cars. They will have another test vehicle, the ActiveE on the roads next spring in numbers close to 1,000 vehicles. Then, in 2013/2014 they will have an EV for sale temporarily called the Mega City. Other than Nissan and GM with the Volt, no other major auto manufacturer has committed the time and money that BMW has for electric cars. They already announced what plant in Germany will be building the EV when it begins production. Be wary of the other manufacturers that give lip service about building an EV, BMW IS doing it for real.
     
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  4. By Roy H Posted: 2/24/2010 8:25pm PST

    Why is the picture caption 2011 Hyundai Sonata?
    BMW is working on electric cars, but I think the Mini E program was a stroke of genius. I think BMW was pressured into complying with CARB for zero emission cars, and contracted with AC Propulsion to produce a quick compliant car and then got eager drivers to pay a large portion of the cost. A small fraction of the $billion GM has spent on the Volt and GM pays employees to test drive their cars. In terms of getting green credits for minimal $, BMW wins hands down!
     
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  5. By Paul Posted: 2/24/2010 9:21pm PST

    Range limitations are a figment of peoples imaginations. Most drivers have no idea of their daily mileage (if they did they'd realize an EV will cover their needs EASILY.
    Does no-one actually realize they only fill their gas tank once a week, yet an EV can be painlessly topped up nightly?
    Only professional drivers and rural residents routinely do the kind of mileage that would make using an EV a problem. The rest need not buy a car specifically to drive intercity when they perhaps only do that once or twice a year, i.e less than 1% of their journeys.
     
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  6. By Martin Posted: 2/27/2010 10:05pm PST

    I believe Paul is 99% correct. A car with a 100 mile rang would be sufficient for most of the people, most of the time. The only problem is on those few occasions when you need to go far, most people will not want to have to borrow or rent a car. Therefore, I think EV's will be mostly limited to the 2nd household car to be used as much as possible(because of the lower operating cost)for all commuting and errands that are within the cars range. The other family car would be driven much less, and for longer trips. Until they can get closer to a true 200 miles per charge, I think it would be hard to have one as your only car. Still, I think they will work for many, many people and will gain traction once the Nissan Leaf hits the streets.
     
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  7. By Jim Posted: 3/6/2010 12:01pm PST

    It took a while for people to give up their Horse and Buggies at the turn of the last century because GAS was not all that easy to get. Electricity is EVERYWHERE!
     
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