I want one, Part 2

Geoff Jennings, CALSTART Project Manager, continues his assessment of the Mini E in Part 2 of "I want one!"

Would I buy one?

Right now, the Mini E is a temporary third car for my wife and me. In just one week, we’ve used both our other vehicles because the Mini E wouldn’t fit our needs.

Once, the range was too long, so we took my wife’s Honda Fit.

Another time, it was that were taking my mother in law to dinner, so the lack of a backseat was an issue.

The third time we were carrying bikes and kayaks. With a roofrack, it’d be a lot more useful too, as I could easily carry bikes and my smaller kayaks, though I’m sure it’d negatively affect range.  Unfortunately, an appropriate rack would cost a few hundred dollars, something I’d be happy to spend if I owned the car, but not for a short term loaner.  

Add a backseat, and the utility would go way up, and if the range was in the 150-170 mile ballpark, that would allow us to even more utility.

That said, I could see having a Mini E as a second car, with a different primary car. For the way my wife and live, it would work. I bike to work most days, my wife uses public transit.  Most of our mileage comes on the weekend, when we like to go be active outdoors, run errands, enjoy dinners around town.  I could easily envision something like a small station wagon (gas/diesel) for our weekend trips, to not be range constrained and able to carry our gear.  And then Mini E for local driving and everything else.

Add a backseat, and the utility would go way up, and if the range was in the 150-170 mile ballpark, that would allow us to even more utility.   As is, I think owning an EV would be a strong possibility for us, but it would require careful selection of the other car to make up for the Mini E’s limitations.

Up next, Geoff holds a Q&A with his Dad about EVs.