New MINI Electric Road Trip From NJ to NC! Cheapest and Shortest Range New EV

[@BillB33525]

4+ mi/kw is outrageously good! Agree, when there are as many plugs as we have gas hoses range will be a non-issue!

[@CFG39]

Range is always going to matter. People that drive a lot will not ever accept having to stop to charge every 1-1.5 hours. You need a good 4+ hour driving range before having to stop, then you should be able to fast charge in 5-10 minutes. Once that happens EVs will be greatly accepted by the average person. Tesla is probably closest to having that. I love my Model 3s, but I would really like the Model 3 to charge faster (not taper off as quickly), and my Performance struggles to go 220-240 miles on a charge because of the overly aggressive tires and wheels. I would like to be able to drive 400 miles at interstate speeds without having to stop. 300 miles is a minimum. The next generation of Tesla’s cars will be able to do that likely. I would hope in a car as small as the Cooper SE that you would easily exceed 4mi/kWh. If the Tesla Model 3 can achieve that being 40” longer than the MINI, much wider, have three times as much power, a battery nearly 3X larger... it would only seem logical for a tiny car like the SE to really beat Tesla. The fact it doesn’t really cream the Model 3 just shows how phenomenal Tesla’s technology is vs. the competition.

[@Chrisb8s]

I just love that mini. I can’t wait for our delivery

[@MrEddiekessler]

Great show. The Cooper looks like a fun wee car. Eddie in Scotland

[@fpartidafpartida]

Absolutely love and agree with your point at 17:43. We just need more DCFC infrastructure and we need it at more diverse places other than Walmart (shout out to Walmart for kick it it off though..respect). Look at Route 66...it’s about the travel and stops along the way...it’s not just about getting from Chicago to LA as fast as possible.

[@SirHackaL0t.]

The wheel covers are so subtle that as a UK person I didn’t realise they were supposed to be a UK socket design.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

I love your Corona 🦠 wheels!

[@WFO.]

Went to a BMW 4 Series event at FedEx Field this month. Ended up test driving the Mini Cooper SE on the open road and loved it!! Really thinking about buying one!! Nice review. Thank you!

[@97TRAKIN]

At 14:30 that's the Brooke Rd Walmart where my wife and I some times charge up.

[@johnmerryman1825]

The mini looks great, like the interior a lot too. But could not work for me without more range. My typical mission is 95 miles round trip and I don’t want to charge away from home in routine driving. Hopefully they make a higher range model soon.

[@johnv9854]

The town you were in is my home town actually Abingdon, MD. Aberdeen was north of where you were.. Thanks for review.

[@hogster5935]

Great vid. I still think range is important. Why? If traveling, stopping kills avg times on the road. Less stopping improves distance vs time. For around town or short trips it's fine.

[@smecherie]

Great videos and very nice guy. U can do car reviews in the future. Keep up the good work

[@clnred]

great review especially in a pandemic. we are locked in our houses and allowed out for a walk, and police everywhere if you wander

[@danscar5277]

Good video and thanks for your perspective. It just might be my next car. My father has a 2014 i3 that I really like driving, but this Mini may be the car that gets me to own a EV. Thanks.

[@arrowlogproductions2509]

Did you end up ordering one?

[@danscar5277]

Arrowlog, I didn’t get a new Mini, instead and because of the price, low mileage I ended up getting from my Dad his 2014 i3. He ordered a newer i3s as a replacement. It’s not as cute as the Mini -E, but I do like the ride height and prefer the rear wheel drive. If I had to get a new car for the value it would be a mini-E. I’ve only seen one in my city. Electric vehicles are the way to go and Mini is heading the right direction.

[@arrowlogproductions2509]

@@danscar5277 i3 is still a cool car. Electric is definitely the future. Thanks for the response!

[@KcK702]

Road trip videos are great!

[@fpartidafpartida]

Kiran Kent Especially in non-Teslas. Nothing wrong with Tesla...it’s just been done so much that you know it can be done (might as well follow someone gassing up at at Chevron). It’s nice to see different vehicles and different charging networks.

[@kens97sto171]

Cool little car, for the coast I think it would work good. Their website says base price is $29,000. I don't think you could get across the middle of Texas however, most of the electrify America stations are 120 to 130 mi apart. At 85 to 95 mph I don't think the car would make it. Although you could if you needed to draft behind a semi truck at 65 mph pretty safely, then you might be able to make it. I'd love for you to do a similar road trip in a new 2020 Bolt EV which has a much better charging curve now. You can pick up a new bolt for mid-20s also currently. I'd like to see what it would do at the track also. I've seen some autocross events with the bolt EV and with decent tires it essentially runs an autocross about the same as a Volkswagen GTI. That's not too shabby quite frankly. Love your channel keep up the great work I love seeing these road trips. I wouldn't mind also seeing a long road trip in an older Tesla Model S. Like an 85 rwd .

[@schmoab]

Trying to figure out if I can do Denver to KC and back in this car. I see a lot of Teslas in western Kansas, but not sure about these short range EVs.

[@airelmiller2117]

About how long were you waiting at each charging station?

[@pilot1226]

While I like that there are more options, having to stop every 90 miles and do deep charges is definitely not ideal. There’s really no replacement for range and Tesla is definitely the leader. Infrastructure definitely is important, but speed of charging and less frequent charging is pretty important also. If I could avoid a whole stop or a bunch of stops, that would add up over a trip.

[@jamesmaddeaux4304]

Your totally right if you drive a lot of miles and is your primary car. But there is something really fun and playful about this car, maybe even a bit euphoric. Seems like a lot of people are giving more praise than I would have though. Go watch the review on Tech Forum, he owns both and (as Kyle has) communicates really well what makes this car so good.

[@jamesmaddeaux4304]

Kyle said on the InsideEVs US podcast that he would rather run errands in the Mini than in his Tesla MP3. Speaks volumes. Tesla needs to make something like this, enter this segment and show the OEM's what is possible on all fronts with no compromises!

[@kens97sto171]

$30k base price. There's already a car that's small and light and better for city it's the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Except it has better range slightly faster charging. MSRP is a little higher on the bolt but quite frankly right now you can buy a new one for mid-20s. Nobody seems to give the bolt EV any love, even though it's more practical, has more interior room, and has more horsepower. I think the Mini would be a great option especially at that price point. If it had about 150 miles of range and could quick charge at 75 to 100 kW peak but was able to maintain that 80% taper. Then you could really stop only for 15 minutes or so. And that would certainly work. Cross country in this would probably not be an option when you get into Texas and other parts of the middle of the country the Electrify America chargers are about 120 to 130 miles apart. And the speeds are 85 to 90 miles per hour which would make getting between the chargers quite difficult. And as I mentioned the Chevrolet Bolt EV can easily do that. The 2020 bolt has a better charging curve now too, It pops up to 53 kW even at low states of charge. And now has a tapering curve rather than a sharp drop off.

[@jamesmaddeaux4304]

@@kens97sto171 True, the Bolt is better for the average consumer. Me, I only need around 50 miles miles per day maybe up to 100 on rare occasion so I'd gladly trade improved handling, much better looks for decreased range. Just plug in at home overnight on 110v and free juice from work. PTW ratio is better in the Mini with its 550 lbs mass reduction. Cornering ability=fun and is priority for my daily commute. Tesla is big on fun and I think would be the leader in this segment if they wanted to go down market. In another 2-3 years they will have scaled up enough to make a 15 to 20 percent profit on a mid to high $20s new platform on their own. Won't need help from government subsidies. I'll bet plans are well underway and could take very significant market share away from OEMs worldwide.

[@pilot1226]

kens97sto171 But the Bolt already has recalls for the 2020 model. You’re missing the point that the Tesla also auto updates with software. If you have a glitch in the Bolt the only way to fix it is to buy a new one.

[@Chrisb8s]

the mini is a great car, although I wouldn't take it on a road trip.. that's what my Model Yis for.. we bought a Mini SE for around town trips.

[@grinblurnar]

That's interesting - in Australia even though we have very low rates of COVID, we wouldn't be allowed to go for a drive that far. We've locked down to the point that if you drive too far from your home without justification (work, essential shopping, that kind of thing) you'd be fined $1600. Perhaps that's why Australia has so few cases and USA COVID has gone nuts! Sorry... but why you travelling in this time?

[@ExperienceCN]

Actually he is working

[@grinblurnar]

ExperienceCN mmmm yeah as much as I like the videos, not an essential service is my point. I’m just intrigued that with the virus going nuts in USA and 50,000 dead it seems not much being down to stop it (other than trump telling people to kill themselves by injecting poisons etc). USA response seems really weird.

[@danscar5277]

It would be harder to keep Americans home like they did in France, Italy and other places. My cousin in Basel, were only were only allowed to move within a distance not more than 1 km from the house. For doing some shopping of food-stuff at larger distance we needed a special permission which could be controlled by the police. This won’t happen in the US until more people drop dead, we’re too cool here.

[@tom_hoots]

There is an element of simple common sense here. Two guys sitting in two separate cars, plus a stop with very controlled conditions at an isolated recharging station is highly unlikely to cause a spread of any kind of illness. If anyone wants to point out thousands of people frolicking on a beach without any kind of masks or separation or any other protective measures, go ahead and call that foolish. But this was done safely, and there are no "isolation police" forcing people to remain in their homes here. In the end, "the ability to travel" is controlled by the different states, and is more of a recommendation than an "enforced law" by most -- if not all -- states in the US.

[@anad44]

I work at a wastewater treatment plant and my daughter works at a grocery store never missed a day of work. We are both fine. If you are healthy, there is no need to be locked up.

[@smallmj2886]

I'd like to see a comparison with the Ioniq.

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

Ioniq would have more range and faster charging but air cooled battery. The MINI has active liquid thermal management - could be an interesting test

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

I still don’t think it’s liquid cooled? Pretty sure it’s still air

[@doge3760]

bochap21 The new 38 kWh ioniq has a liquid cooled battery while the 28 kWh had a air cooled battery

[@mata7produccions]

I like your videos but I wish you would’ve driven the Mini to give us your first hand experience with the car.

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

I have plenty of videos coming soon on road + track giving impressions

[@anthonyc8499]

Any news on getting high powered DCFC at the track?

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

Working as hard as possible on it... virus slowed things down massively. It’s badly needed

[@nathalielavoie1]

Does it have a battery management system cooling?

[@EVAddicted]

Hey you tried the EA near me in Richmond VA !!

[@godfredacheampong]

wow u were in abingdon

[@afung1126]

Regarding the name of the wheel. They named it way before the virus outbreak so your comment is not fair. I've seen they did change it to "electric spoke" in some marketing materials

[@jopatech]

Despite the fact Corona means crown, and the gold trim around the perimeter of the wheel resembles a the corona of the sun during an eclipse, people will still freak out about the name. Much like the beer. :P

[@j.padilla309]

What configuration do you have?

[@larryspiller15]

Too bad it doesn't work at all in Canada. Everything is 180 miles away charging stop wise. My mom would probably love it but Canadian cities are so spread out. Will check again in 5 years.

[@YourMajestyTheKing]

Yeah my mom pointed at a Mini at a parking lot the other day and said how cute and imagine driving around with my niece. So i went back to check it again, i checked it out two months ago but find the pre-refresh grill hideous. I couldn’t figure out a more guilt free way to get a new EV. so i ordered a SE for my mom, which i will steal to play with. Yeah range is an issue but it’s going to be for her commute in the city and my fun supermarket run. Sucks that probably can’t bring it to Muskoka for the fun back road drive.

[@MonkeyPower55]

Would have liked to have known what the highway range on it was.

[@1stMilcom]

Very good video. I agree totally that future EVs need to be very affordable. The best way to become cheaper to buy is by reducing the battery size. 200 KMS range is the sweet spot in my view. Our future of transportation is going to be like Norway. EV charging everywhere and almost for free. Probably every single gas station will have 11 KW AC charging ports.

[@E_Static]

0.1 of your surroundings post and make posted

[@azera55555]

Missed these road trips so much! More corona trips!

[@Reddylion]

nice

[@biesweekendrides1113]

I think the SE makes for an awesome second car.

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

Yes!

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

You are lucky you are allowed to drive that far kyle. In ohio we are only allowed to go to the grocery store . No non essential travel.

[@officialyasir]

Is it actually being enforced?

[@Mr_Magoo_]

Crazy. I would never follow those unconstitutional rules.

[@fabriziom]

@@Mr_Magoo_ we have same here in France. Maybe "unconstitutional" but you can have this virus without noticing it. When you'll transmit it to someone you love and he dies from it, how would that feel? Think a bit pal.

[@kens97sto171]

@@fabriziom It's called personal responsibility. Kyle was prettyspecific about not being around other people. I don't understand how I would transmit a virus to somebody driving down the interstate in my car alone?

[@themanofmead5273]

fabriziom listen to yourself. You’ve been brainwashed by your government. We have been around for hundreds of years but suddenly your government tells you a fairytale about a magic virus and suddenly you are fearful and compliant and willing to give up all your freedoms.

[@officialyasir]

Hey Kyle, I don’t know enough about EVs but do you think a manual transmission ev can get better range than a standard single gear one? I miss manual in my model 3

[@brucec954]

I think a transmission with multiple gears for an EV would just add cost. Electric motors don't have a narrow power band like ICE engines. The only time it would help is at the race track or Autobahn at high speed which is why the Porsche has a two speed tranny.

[@Charlesbjtown]

This guy absolutely LOVES running his hands through his hair.

[@ericbarnett852]

More battery cycles though

[@usamericans6045]

Bigger battery = use less of it (shallower cycles) = last a lot longer.

[@UltramaticOrange]

The displays are great. Shame the UI is 2005 styling.

[@oisiaa]

Does it receive the full $7,500 tax credit?

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

Yes!

[@hogster5935]

I'd like to buy one.

[@Ojames600]

More Range to me means less stops to charge, this frees up more chargers for others to use

[@BillB33525]

Where did u get the wipes??

[@jgonsalves22]

Bill B the store

[@flamaest]

The title indicates cheapest EV, but did I miss where you indicate the cost of this vehicle, the range, and the battery capacity? Seems like those would be critical facts to note in your video. if I read in the comments correctly this vehicle gets a little over 100 miles per charge? I used to have a vehicle with that kind of range and I would never go back to it. It was a complete nightmare especially in the winter.

[@kens97sto171]

Mini website indicates $29,000 base price. I think I'd get a Chevrolet Bolt EV instead. You can get them pretty cheap right now even a new 2020 which has a better charging curve and slightly more capacity. More practical car certainly not as flashy and probably doesn't handle as good.

[@voric2893]

I find BMW is backwards with the spin control!

[@bd5av8r1]

Nice car (The Mini) THe bad news: not enough range.

[@ThumperCR]

I have to disagree with more chargers eliminating the need for long range vehicles. In fact I think EV's need to continue going up in range not down and Tesla is the leader in this category hands down. Having to stop so many times is so inefficient. I will take the max range vehicle I can get my hands on. The speed of charging is also equally important in my opinion as well. Anything under 100kw I don't consider "fast" charging. 150kw is just about right but faster is better and not too many EV's out there can charge at 100kw +.

[@darrenorange2982]

Or just buy a used Chevy Bolt EV for like 20K or less with 20-30K miles...

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

How could it be 20k less if this car is in the teens after tax / state credits? If someone is paying me to drive a Bolt, I'll happily accept one!

[@darrenorange2982]

@@OutofSpecMotoring Internet wording is funny 🤣 20k or less meaning 20k or under price wise. You can get a used Bolt for under 20k or around 20k.

[@jamesmaddeaux4304]

The Bolt is not as fun. You'd get more range but have to drag around an extra 550 lbs. The handling dynamics of the Mini, along with the suspension upgrades Kyle suggests would be worth a little more money vs a used Bolt (long range Spark). Plus, I think the Mini will hold its value better than the Bolt as it's a more desirable/ engaging car and won't have the petrol related reliability issues Mini's are known for.

[@brandonnixon7105]

@@jamesmaddeaux4304 The mini will tank on value, thats just facts. And throw some lowering springs on the bolt and youll be fine. Who buys and ev for engaging driving anyways? Every EV owner I see in Socal (like a million) drive 65 on the left lane.

[@jamesmaddeaux4304]

@@brandonnixon7105 OK, facts? I'm all ears. Lowering springs helps, but not near enough. Have u ever driven an EV? The epidemic of left lane huggers is nationwide and is not EV specific

[@prabhdeepdhaliwal5706]

🧐

[@madhavareddy5935]

Hey Hii kindly make videos with Porsche Taycan

[@thomasjacques5286]

Reality is the Mini while a neat EV is purely a city car. But thanks for thinking out side the BOX.

[@voric2893]

Kyle get your GF to cut your bangs and around your ears, with your longer hair i think you could pull off a mullet!

[@theautobahnspecialistusver3751]

hy Kyle. Your roatrip videos are cool and objective. Would you like to do that with a Taycan 4S ? Write me , if you like. Watch my Videos about the Taycan.

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

Yes, of course. Shoot me an email [e-mail]

[@theautobahnspecialistusver3751]

@@OutofSpecMotoring you made it to the German media. I will write you tomorrow. Regards, Andy efahrer.chip.de/news/tesla-fahrer-faehrt-fast-2000km-im-neuen-elektro-mini-sein-urteil-ist-eindeutig_102252

[@Mr_Magoo_]

More of a Tesla Road Trip following a Mini.

[@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403]

Mini has to improve the charging speed, however. 50kw max? Not good enough. Imgine if they did 150kw or even 250 kw? Geez, you find a good 250 kw charger and you'd be read to go in 5 minutes.

[@CFG39]

It feels like MINI is being run into the ground on purpose by BMW. They’ve been losing billions of dollars on MINI, especially in the US since they introduced the current generation F56 bodystyle. Back in the good old days, the R56 3dr Hatch sold up to 60,000 units in a year here in the US. Now, with multiple models (Clubman, 3 and 5 door hatch, Countryman, Convertible), MINI is selling A fraction of what they were selling back at the peak of MINI perfection. The 2011-2013 R56 S/JCW was the best years for MINI. The 1.6T engine was zippy, thrifty, the timing chain issues had been fixed, carbon buildup was mostly resolved, and it sounded great. Everything went downhill in terms of driving dynamics and styling when the F56 was released for 2014. The Cooper SE could have been such a cool car if they had put in the latest generation of batteries, and built the thing on a dedicated EV platform so they could double or triple the battery capacity. I owned a 2011 MINI Cooper S 6MT and it was such a fun car to drive hard, but the reliability was atrocious. When I drove the F56 back in 2014 I was completely shocked how poorly it drove vs. either R53 or R56. The other problem was the stupid looking front end everyone dubbed “fish mouth”. 7 years after the F56 was unveiled and BMW has not fixed any of the biggest glaring defects (exterior styling, driving dynamics that can’t match first two generations, power deficit vs. VW GTI, Focus ST, WRX, etc., the F56 brakes suck, build quality). I had hoped the SE would do something to boost MINI sales in the US but it’s ridiculously small range limits it’s ability for any serious trips. It may be a fun city car for the wealthy but for the average person that only can afford one vehicle it won’t appeal unless they never take long trips.

[@jamesmaddeaux4304]

Pretty much the entire auto industry is sketchy right now (Tesla, not as much). Most OEM's can't afford or don't want to dump big bucks into EV's yet, they have to find a compromise. Plus, they don't want to sell too many of them b/c of the great double whammy, trading high profit ICE vehicles for no profit EV's and more importantly, the crippling loss of service revenue, Everyone except for Tesla and Rivian have a very tough road ahead on this front. As for the long trips part of your comment, I get the Mini not ideal but if your only taking a 2 or 3 really long trips per year, just rent a Prius and test your bladder lol.

[@dronetechaz]

buzz cut your hair and beard :)

[@nickz93]

You really need to stay home. Your travel is not essential.

[@officialyasir]

Nicolas Zagorski KZbin is essential. I need something to watch in quarantine. 😂

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Exactly. There's a reason why media is "essential" and allowed to travel. People are stuck at home and more than ever they need fresh content to watch. Can't watch news 24/7 or you'll go insane.

[@kens97sto171]

Explain to me how driving down the road in your car alone is a threat to anyone else?

[@nickz93]

Are you not out of your car at a charger??? Are you really that dumb?

[@anad44]

Why are you so freaked out? I haven’t missed a day of work here in Florida.

[@VampireOnline]

I just hate any other interior that's not tesla's. Such a freaking mess of buttons.

[@OutofSpecMotoring]

Funny, I prefer the MINIs interior

[@usamericans6045]

Something in-between would be ideal. I do really love the Tesla interiors (blasphemy!), but maybe they could add a small row of macro buttons as a USB add on, or something. I'm thinking something that sits in the phone tray area.

[@kens97sto171]

I'm the other way around I absolutely detest the Tesla's lack of commonly used buttons for a giant screen that I have to look at. Something in between would probably be the best balance. I do kind of agree with you that the mini is a little bit busy with the buttons. But it is a small car with a small interior but kind of has to cram everything into a small space

[@joesmith9483]

110 miles on a 70 degree day, 55 on a cold day.

[@MICHGO1]

SO YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MUSIC BLASTING LOUDER THAN THE PERSON TALKING? I'LL PASS.

[@michaeldproject]

This looks absolutely terrible compared to the Tesla. Almost as if the MINI was ten years older.

[@michaeldproject]

John Edwards I’m a vocal proponent of The BMW Group’s transition to EV’s and a fan of the i3s which this is based off of, but the MINI Electric feels so outdated when it’s put next to a Model 3.

[@michaeldproject]

John Edwards I think the style of the MINI and its branding are what will sell it. I’m sure it’s fun to drive, I just think that their choice to juxtapose it with a Model 3 in this video makes it look like it’s an ICE with an electric motor - which is fine, that’s what some people want.