Daily Archives: July 14, 2017

MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) – Part 2: Driving and Charging

July 14, 2017Blog, Cooper Countryman PHEV, Electric Cars, MINITrevor Larkum

Part 1 is here: MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) – First Impressions

In terms of driving I was pleasantly surprised. Of course, I have been driving electric for 4 years so am rather spoiled and hate the thought of having to go back to a piston engine.

However, fair play to MINI, the transition from electric to combustion is barely noticeable when travelling at speed such as on the motorway. The noise and vibration are kept to a minimum.

The driver’s displays and controls are nicely done – similar to those in the i3, except that the satnav/media screen is a touchscreen. You can choose to operate it with the usual MINI/BMW joystick control or just by pressing on the screen. The state of charge is indicated by a big illuminated ring around the screen area.

Charging was straightforward – it has a Type 2 socket (same as the ZOE and i3) so I was able to plug it in while parked on my drive. The charge socket is on the front nearside wing (the petrol cap is on the rear offside wing). As it starts to charge a ring around the socket flashes amber, once it’s fully charged this goes to a constant blue.

The MINI PHEV has a switch to set the drive mode – this allows you to keep it electric, keep it petrol (to save the battery for later) or let the car decide the most economic balance (much like a hybrid). I was keen to test the electric range so coming in to work this morning I put the MINI into the all electric mode.

I was pleasantly surprised to find, by keeping my speed to no more than about 60mph, that I was able to do the whole journey on electric. That’s a distance of about 23 miles so better than I had expected. Of course, you would likely not get so far if you have a heavy foot and drive fast, or in cold weather. A real-world range of 17-20 miles is probably a better expectation.

Nonetheless if you have a commute of up to about 20 miles I’m sure you could adjust your driving style appropriately so that you never need to use any petrol. Certainly I managed to drive from Northampton to Milton Keynes on 50p of electricity rather than £5 of petrol. And with charging at work your commute range could be doubled.

Naturally as a premier car the MINI Countryman PHEV has some nice features. I liked the independent climate controls for driver and passenger. My children liked the so-called ‘puddle light‘ that comes on at night by the driver’s door – and looks rather reminiscent of Batman’s famous Batsignal!

Overall I was impressed with the MINI Countryman PHEV. While it’s electric range may be poor compared to an all electric car it is still far ahead of a conventional combustion car or a hybrid. It could work really well for someone with a commute of up to 20 miles who could do most of their driving on electricity, but then revert to petrol for holidays and other long trips.

Prices are here, and a form to get a quote: Prices for the Mini Countryman Plug-In Electric Hybrid

If instead you’d like us to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership of a MINI PHEV compared to a fossil car or another electric car then go here: Total Cost of Ownership

For some quick videos see: MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) electric car videos

Our thanks go to Wollaston BMW for the loan of the car.

MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) – First Impressions

July 14, 2017Blog, Cooper Countryman PHEV, Electric Cars, MINITrevor Larkum

We currently have a plugin MINI Countryman on loan (technically it’s an “F60 MINI Cooper S E ALL4 PHEV Countryman AUTO” but that’s too much of a mouthful) and I was lucky enough to get the first go with it last night. What’s special about this MINI is that it has a conventional petrol engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor and battery driving the rear wheels.

This means it can drive entirely on electricity for up to about 20 miles and then go over to petrol for longer journeys (300 miles or so). Also, it can act as a hybrid like a Prius to get good economy. Finally, the drive layout means it can be used in four wheel drive mode – very useful in rain and snow.

I drove it home, had use of it for the evening, and drove it back to the office today.

The first thing that struck me when I was it was the size – this is not a small car! Having grown up with the original Mini (my Dad had a series of them) I was surprised just how big the new MINI Countryman is.

It is intended, of course, for families with children so its size shouldn’t be a surprise. The upside is that it has a lot of interior space and feels very roomy.

In fact, I took a number of passengers in the back and they all remarked on how much space there was, and in particular its high ceiling.

It also has a pretty big boot.

Part 2 is here: MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) – Part 2: Driving and Charging

Latest diesel car models remain highly polluting, tests show

July 14, 2017Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionJo

Six new vehicles including Land Rover and Suzuki are adding to air pollution crisis, despite stricter rules coming in months.

Car exhaust pollution (Image: Wikipedia)

The latest diesel car models are failing to meet pollution limits when on the road, just three months ahead of stricter new tests, independent tests have found. Results show that none of six new 2017 diesel cars met the EU standard for toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution in real-world driving.

The updated Equa Index, produced by the testing firm Emissions Analytics, shows that 86% of all diesel models put on to the British market since the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal failed to meet the official limit on the road, with 15% producing at least eight times more NOx emissions.

Levels of NOx, emitted mostly by diesel vehicles, have been illegally high in 90% of the UK’s urban areas since 2010. The toxic fumes are estimated to cause 23,500 early deaths a year and the problem has been called a public health emergency by a cross-party committee of MPs.

Ministers have already lost twice in the courts over the adequacy of government air quality plans and are being sued again over their latest proposals, which were published on 5 May but widely condemned as inadequate. The government’s own analysis shows clean air zones in urban centres, where charges deter the most polluting vehicles, are the most effective way to cut pollution quickly. But Nick Molden, CEO of Emissions Analytics, said the wide variation in real-world performance of diesel cars undermines such plans.

Volkswagen Is Bringing 2 New Electric Cars to U.S., Report Says

July 14, 2017Electric Cars, I.D Buzz, I.D., I.D. AEROe, I.D. Cross, I.D. Lounge, News, Reviews and Comment, VolkswagenJo

A leaked slide confirmed the plans to unveil two new U.S.-bound EVs under the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen Group is getting ready to hit the EV market hard. Between the recent news of a new Microbus successor and the continual improvement of Audi-brand EVs, Volkswagen is positioning itself in a very good way. But after a slide deck was reportedly leaked by Autoblog Netherlands, it seems that two new models are headed to the States.

The blog, which is written in Dutch, reveals the planned markets for several releases of electric vehicles under the Volkswagen brand between 2019 and 2022. These two models, the I.D. Lounge and I.D. AEROe are set to be released in the United States and China sometime between 2020 and 2021, assuming things go according to plan. To put this in perspective with Volkswagen’s other releases, the timeline also shows the following vehicles and the possible target dates for their corresponding markets:

Volkswagen I.D. – Released in the European market sometime around 2019
Volkswagen I.D. Cross – Released in the European and Chinese markets sometime between 2019 and 2020
Volkswagen I.D. Lounge – Released in the Chinese and United States markets sometime around 2020
Volkswagen I.D. AEROe- Released in the Chinese and United States markets sometime between 2020 and 2021
Volkswagen I.D. BUZZ – Release is still to be decided presumably between 2021 and 2022

Judging by the images, which are cars covered by sheets, the I.D. Lounge appears to be a full-size SUV, while the I.D. Aero seems to possibly fit a smaller hatchback profile, similar to the existing Audi A3 E-Tron. It is likely that these models will also be built in Volkswagen Group’s large electric assembly plant in Brussels, assuming it is up to the task of eight (five Volkswagen and three Audi) new EVs in the next five years.

MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) electric car videos

We are lucky to have been lent one of the new MINI Countryman plug-in hybrids for a couple of days.

This morning I took the opportunity to do some quick videos around the car to give a taste of what it’s like.

Prices are here, and a form to get a quote: Prices for the Mini Countryman Plug-In Electric Hybrid

If instead you’d like us to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership of a MINI PHEV compared to a fossil car or another electric car then go here: Total Cost of Ownership

Projections estimate UK electric car sales will hike in the next five years

July 14, 2017Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

Recent studies have suggested that electrically powered vehicles could become more affordable within the next five years.

The revolution of electric cars got off to a somewhat slow start in the UK, but figures have been slowly improving over the last few years with sales in 2015 reported to be around 49,700.

With the battery pack accounting for around 25 per cent of the overall price, electric cars were somewhat unaffordable on their initial launch.

However, research conducted by Nature.com highlighted battery pack prices (measured by the cost per kilowatt-hour) fell by around 80 per cent between 2010 and 2016, causing vehicles sales to soar in the UK.

Using current trends and patterns, optimistic researchers have predicted electric car battery prices might pass the affordability threshold soon after 2020, with overall sales figures said to be at a staggering 1.6 million in the UK alone.

However, more conservative forecasts have predicted vehicle battery packs will hit the affordability threshold by 2030, with sales figures estimated to be at around 13.6 million.

Source: Car Keys