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apart the other ‘problem’ levelled at EVs is they lack character, they don’t set your driving senses alight. However, not all EVs are equal and I have been driving one that offers all the fun and character of a hot hatch. The MINI Electric 3 is not cheap, £31,000 even with the £3,000 government grant, prices start from £25,100 for the MINI Electric 1, so you really have to want a car that will realistically only ever be a commuter car, probably secondary to a traditionally powered vehicle. The reason? Range, or rather lack of it. MINI quote a 144 mile range but this is ideal world not real world. Even driving carefully, to maximise the MINI’s clever energy regeneration, I would think about 110 miles is going to be your limit, possibly slightly less if range anxiety kicks in. Now if this seems like a bad start lets redress the
balance, there are so many positives to the MINI Electric. Unlike the sometimes anodyne driving experience of many modern cars the MINI is huge fun to drive. The instant throttle response produces instant power that charges the MINI to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. But that really doesn’t do justice to the sense of speed,
MOTORING T
SPECIAL EV/HYBRID FEATURE
MINI ELECTRIC ADDS A SERIOUS FUN FACTOR TO THIS EV
he inexorable march of EVs is set to continue as new ways of greener motoring are explored, a fragmented charging network
IT CHARGES QUICKLY FROM A FAST PUBLIC CHARGER, OR A HOME CHARGER.
the instant power leaves many more powerful cars struggling to catch-up. It charges quickly from a fast public charger, or a home charger (and you really do need a home charger), admittedly it has a small battery but nonetheless charging is surprisingly quick. Another surprise was how using the plethora of standard goodies, including heated seats, didn’t seem to unduly dent the battery’s charge level any more than would normally be the case. Nicely bolted together and with a quality feel, the MINI has a reassuringly solid ambience. A firmish ride still soaks up the bumps and comforts the posterior. Space is at somewhat of a premium in the luggage department thanks
to those batteries, but inside two people are amply catered for and an additional two certainly wouldn’t complain on shorter journeys. I suspect even the most ardent car fan, if their
motoring requirements were suited to an EV, would find the MINI Electric a very welcome addition to their garage. I certainly did….even though, sadly, I had to give it back!
IT LED THE EV CHARGE AND IS STILL A HARD ACT TO BEAT NISSAN LEAF
I
t led the electric vehicle charge but the Leaf is not Nissan’s first electric vehicle. The company’s electric ambitions go back to the 1940s and finally reached series production with the Leaf in 2010. Since it debuted, the Leaf’s range has gradually been extended and today there are two versions with 168 miles or 239 miles of range. In the real world of course you would be lucky to reach
that goal, but the Nissan has the potential to get reasonably close to its limit given the right driving situation. EVs don’t like motorways because there’s less braking which means less
ROAD TESTS BY MARK SLACK
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