Back in the saddle, again...

Wow... I can't believe it's been almost TWO months since I last posted something about my Mini-E #339!!! When I first started this blog back in June (when I picked up #339), I knew there would be times like these when I just didn't have anything interesting to post—or even time to post any thing!!

Still... Has the entire month of October passed already?

Hmmm... Let's see... The Yankees won another World Series... Bloomberg has been elected Mayor of New York for another four years... All the tree leaves in Queens are dying and littering the streets... Yeah, I guess October has come and gone!

So, quick recap!! Since I last posted back in September....

1. Mini-E #339 went back in to have a faulty battery module replaced. The "Flying Docs" did their job and repaired everything for FREE under this "pioneer" program! And it seems like the Docs did it right. Haven't had any "bad experiences" (yet) with 339's over-night battery charging or driving range—although that last spate of "cold" weather in New York back in late September and early-October... (More on that later.)
   
   The best thing: I had some major problems in getting 339 towed (flat-bedded, really) to BMW/Mini of Manhattan. But once again, this pioneering program really stepped up to the plate. I got several calls from BMW corporate on the day my 339 had to go back to the dealer for repairs. And the day after, I got a few calls too. Every call was to apologize for my unfortunate situation and "to re-assure" me that BMW/Mini strives "for the most excellent service" to their customers: ME!
   
   Just "customer service" talk, you'd think, right? More "public relations" spin? Keep up a good face? Maybe... But one of the reps (I forget his name, now) ended his call with, "Well, Paul... We want to thank you for being so understanding over this whole ordeal, so please expect something in the mail soon." I didn't think much of it because...



2. I went on vacation the day after they finally flat-bedded 339 back to HQ in Jersey to fix her battery.
   
   Vacation. For 10 days. To Hawaii!! Via cruise ship! From Vancouver!
   
   Needless to say, that's why I didn't blog at all after my last post, "My Baby's gone..." Being out at sea for five days from Vancouver to Hawaii... I didn't really think much about "driving." (Although I did spend some "quality time" with her owner's manual.)
   
   And when I did "land" on the Hawaiian islands, I really thought of--and deeply missed--Mini-E #339 on one particular occasion. On the island of Maui, I took the "Road to Hana" in a rented Mazda 6 sedan and let me tell you... The Mazda 6 is a nice car, BUT...
   
   The Hana Highway is just a 68-mile long, two-lane road (one lane each way) with 59 bridges (49 of 'em ONE LANE only!) and 620 curves and switchbacks that passes through some of the most awesome scenery of waterfalls and coastlines and mountain rock faces...
   
   It takes over 3 hours to drive that highway end-to-end because it's so twisty and narrow and steep up and down the old extinct Maui volcanoes!!! In other words, it's the perfect twisty, bendy to take a Mini Cooper or (better yet) a Mini Cooper Convertible! OR best still, a Mini-E Cooper convertible!!!! (Nothing like driving on a curvaceous, narrow road through some absolutely stunning natural beauty... in a tight-handling, fast, fun and eco-friendly, open-topped car!! At least that's what I was dreamin' of while working the Mazda 6's electronic gear shifter up and down during my drive! Nice!)
   
   Seriously... If you're ever in Maui and you really really really REALLY LOVE driving... And I mean driving as in NOT "got to drop off the kids, pick up the dry cleaning, get to work, go grocery shopping, then pick up the kids" kind of driving... But real driving...
   
   You MUST "do" the Hana Highway!!!!
   
   I'm not one to spout deep philosophical thoughts, but... I'm convinced that whoever said, "Life isn't about the destination but the journey," must've come up with that gem after a trek on the Road to Hana!!! :-D



3. When I finally landed home in NYC after my high-seas and Hawaiian adventure, I picked up 339 at the dealer... Drove her home fine... And waiting in that pile of mail at home was an envelope from BMW/Mini "Roadside Assistance." Inside? Nothing but a $150 check!!! Thank you, BMW!!! Thank you, Pioneer program!! I see we're of the same mind-frame: "Talk is cheap. Action costs!" (And I didn't even ask for any type of "compensation" for that miserable tow experience!)



4. The first few weeks "back to reality" after that Hawaiian adventure, the weather in New York turned unseasonably colder!! As such, my battery and driving range took hits. There's no way to protect 339 from the low over-night temperatures (they fell to the 20s and 30 degree Fahrenheit at times!) since her charging station is located at the side of my house next to the driveway and NOT in a garage like many others', I suspect. Some mornings, I got in and her driving range read only "84 miles."
   
   Another "fun" cold-weather dealing... Her TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) went off during one of my morning commutes. At first I thought I got a flat tire! (Great... and I didn't take the $300 insurance against the run-flats!!) But co-workers who own the conventionally-powered Minis said the cold temps probably affected the tire pressure.
   
   After topping off all her tires to the correct PSI ratings and resetting the TPMS, all is well again. So far.
   
   Winter should be fun! (Stay tuned!)
   
   
5. I met with and got "permission" from the facilities manager(s) at work. I can now park 339 and jack her into the 120-volt outdoor outlets on the lamp posts in my company's outdoor parking lot! So while I "slave away for The Man," 339 can get topped off with the juice being paid for by The Man!
   
   Of course, it means I have to remember to switch 339's charge setting to "12-amps" when I get to work. (Last thing I want is to "blow" the work circuits... Or 339's portable "emergency" charger... or damage 339's internal circuitry!) And it means I have to remember to "switch back" to the "32-amps" setting once I get home, otherwise I won't have her ready to go in the morning!
   
   So far, that's been going well, though. (More on that in future posts.)
   
   And finally...
   
   
6. There's going to be a meet-up with other Mini-E owners today. One of the other "pioneers" has an Italian restaurant in Montclair, NJ. I apparently missed the first "gathering of the East Coast drivers. So, this should be fun! Stay tuned!
   

That's it. Sorry for the long post. But you're now all caught up.

I think.

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Why do I drive an Electric Mini Cooper...?

Today, of all days, seems to be the day to answer (in part) this question:

Why did I choose to be a part of this Mini-E program?

It must be because I'm such a geek that has to have the latest technology, right?

Yeah, well... Maybe. Who else but a true geek would be happy driving a car that can go only 100 or so miles between fill-ups? Or, would be "ok" and otherwise accepting of the fact that it'll take more than a week to replace just one "faulty battery module #42?" (More on the pending repair in another, future post...)

Of course, that kind of attitude is to be expected of someone who's a dedicated "greenie," an "eco-warrior"... A person like me then, right?

::scoff:: As anyone who knows me well can tell you, I'm FAR from being a "crunchy granola, hemp-wearing, Wiccan-believing, 'Earth-child!'" Nope.

I still love my nearly 12-year old, gas-powered, CO2-emitting Honda CR-V. (Not as big of a gas suck as a GMC Suburban or a Hummer, say. But still, 20-MPG is on the low end of the mileage spectrum of "eco-friendly" vehicles!)

And if I use a Styrofoam cup for my coffee or soda or buy a disposable plastic bottle of water, I'm not whipping myself for "dissing Earth-mother Gaia" or feel I have to run out and plant 20 young sapling in remission of my "environmental sins."

Oh... well... Then, I must be the opposite! One of those rich snobs who have more money than sense and want to flaunt my "eco-ness" out of pure vanity...

"Lookit me! I'm elite!!! I have an electric Mini in this cute, distinctive livery... Available to ONLY 500 drivers... A select few who could afford to blow $850 a month on this so-very-rare, but so-very-Earthy-eco-chic car... for ONLY a year! I'm special!!!"

::scoff:: I wish... And as others remind me, for what I'm paying for #339 I could have gotten a really much-nicer, finely-equipped, lux mobile... a BMW 7-series... a Mercedes... But for a Mini Cooper??

("Boy, Mini must be/should be treating you like Royalty, then!" Hmmph!!! Another "I wish!!")

So why did I become a Mini-E pioneer?

In part: Because of Sept. 11, 2001.

I remember that day.

I worked (back then) for a news organization for one of the major TV networks. And I remember every single, horrid moment.

While many of us were glued to our TVs watching the news... It was "news gatherers" like I who were just flooded with information... TOO much information... And the sense of panic from some very "seasoned journalists" out in "the field" that day.

But of all the things I remember seeing... During those first 24 hours... And the days that seemed to drag on... Mostly, I remember:

The footage of people in certain OPEC nations... shouting... chanting... singing... celebrating what had happened to us Americans.

I also remember the week after 9/11, my sister picked up and drove home a brand new 2001 Toyota Prius.

Yes, my sister and I were "pioneers" back then too because we actually ordered the Prius back in April 2001 -- way before many folks thought hybrid technology was "ready for prime time" or worth the "extra cost." After all, gas wasn't even close to $2 a gallon!!! (Ahhh... the good old days!)

But, I was enthralled with the technology and wanted to show her how it worked by taking her to a Toyota dealership "just for a test drive" back then.

We weren't planning on buying a new car in April 2001. But after she drove it AND heard of all the advantages of (and dealer incentives for) the Prius... She was sold. ("How can I not buy this car?" I believe I remember her asking that day.)

And I certainly felt better because after Sept. 11, 2001, I truly believed in this simple equation:

Prius = less gas = less need for imported oil = less money to OPEC = less money to people who plan/carry out Sept. 11-like attacks = less need to send troops to said OPEC nations to secure flow of said imported oil = less "reasons" for people to blindly hate Americans!!!

Did we change the world? Maybe. (To say anything else would be pure hubris!)

I certainly know for a fact that for the weeks and months following 9/11/2001, we "Prius pioneers" were certainly stopped by a lot of people who asked us A LOT of questions... Does it really save a lot of gas? How does it work? Does it drive like a "real" car? Where do you plug it in? (Heh!)

And, I know for a fact that today hybrid car technology is much more prevalent among the minds of consumers and car-makers!

So, will I and the hundreds of other Mini-E pioneers "change the world?" Again, that would be pure hubris!

BUT, I do know that I'm being asked almost the same questions about #339 now as I was being asked about the Prius in 2001. (Only this time, they're asking, "Is that a hybrid? How come it doesn't have a gas cap?" Heh!)

Finally, in remembrance of this day, eight years ago...

A precious few -- despite over-whelming odds and impossible situations -- chose to stand and do what they believed was right. Even if, as was the case of United Flight 93, the outcome meant their death, that handful possibly prevented the death of thousands.

I don't know if Kennedy really said, "One man can make a difference."

But it certainly seems true.

So to all my fellow Mini-E Pioneers, electric car enthusiasts and friends... On this day, in the immortal words of Todd Beamer:

"Let's roll!"

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Le Parisien, Redux

So, my sister reminds me that I never posted the article on me and Mini-E #339.

My bad.

The reporter, Monsieur Pascal Giberné, was kind enough to send a PDF of the page of the Paris paper that had his article. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can see the file here:

PDF of Le Parisiene.

But here's the snippet (a small section of the page) with me and Mini-E:



The translation (Thanks, Tara!):

Paul Eng is among just 500 people in the United States selected by BMJ to spend a year testing the Mini E, the first electric car from the German manufacturer. This 42-year-old web designer from Queens, New York, was interested in the technology behind it. Testers must still pay a monthly fee of $850. “This is the future,” points out Paul, who for that price could have rented a Lamborghini. “It’s my small contribution towards the tough challenge of reviving the automobile industry.” The Mini E (which would cost $50,000) can cover 161 km when filled up, powered by a 150 kilowatt (200 horsepower) engine. To charge his car, Paul Eng uses two lines of 220 volts and 32 amps that were installed by BMW technicians. At an estimated 18 cents per kilowatt-hour, it costs just $5 to recharge the battery. “I no longer have to worry about the cost of gas,” explains Paul Eng, who covers 90 km a day to get to work. Icing on the cake: the Mini E is capable of reaching 150 km/hr. Read more!

I'm FAMOUS... in France!(?)!

I've been so busy for the past couple of days that I haven't been able to blog. My bad.

But given that my last post was about how psyched I was to be interviewed for a French newspaper, Le Parisien, I thought well... Time to follow up!

The story about me and my Mini, #339, did get published!!!

See:
Les New-Yorkais testent la Mini E

The story's accessible only through subscription -- and in French, which I don't understand. (Well... Can't really blame them for that, eh? I'm just another "ugly American." Deal.)

Still, I'm in the lede (the first sentence) of the story!!! Whoooop!

I'll see if I can round up an actual copy of the story -- and a translation! After all, I provided the writer with quite a few pics of me and 339, so it would be good to see the entire page with (hopefully) a pic of me and her together. (Like the one above!) And to be honest, #339 really deserves all the limelight, not me.

And to Monsieur Giberné: I owe you one sweet ride in 339!!! So call me anytime!!! :-D

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A gathering of "pioneers"

Yes, that's me and my Mini-E #339 and if you can see behind me (HA!), there's a whole slew of other pewter-colored Mini-Es!!! (Click to enlarge.) [ Photo: DK ]

So, I've been too busy at work lately to blog. (Some really tense moments at the office, thanks to potential "staffing issues" -- i.e. "layoffs.")

And for the moments I'm NOT thinking about work... Well, I'm just REALLY enjoying my time with my Mini-E #339!!!

There's something really special her... And she still delivers. The silence I get while driving 339 in the company lot -- and away from the madness of the office -- is REAL relaxation... Almost as if I've entered into a mobile Shangri-la or Nirvana. ("Auto-topia"???) Not to mention, the 339's ability for near-instantaneous speed... (Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!!) How could 339 NOT bring a smile to my face and let the stress of the work day fade as quickly as the image of the office building in her rear-view mirror???

What's more, ever since the completion of my 220-Volt charger last Thursday, I've been enjoying this amazing little car on a much more regular basis. Being able to completely charge the car to 100% every night so it's completely ready for the next day's driving tasks is just comforting. There's a peace of mind -- and great joy -- in knowing that the next day, I'll have the ability to experience a commute with the quiet hum of a steady cruise or the "Vrreeeeee...!!!" of a high-speed "gotta get there" pace or (more likely) something in between the two all over again!

Tonight, a different thing spurred me to (finally?) blog, however.

A couple of nights ago, I got an e-mail invite to a "Mini-E event" -- a cocktail party in Manhattan (@ a place called Environment at 18th Street and Broadway) for pioneers. A "mixer" so we'd get to know each other -- as if we haven't already through our many blogs!

Dirk (on the left) and I, hamming it up with my Mini-E 339 and her "stylized plug-in logo" on her hood. (Dirk's a big fan of cool stuff, and 339 is definitely cool!) (Click to enlarge.) [ Photo: DK ]

Now normally, I really hate cocktail parties, especially thrown by "corporate types" centered on a theme I might not necessarily cared for. And this one was almost no different. Lots of people, small bits of food, noisy, hot... And I don't do well in those situations.

Still, a coupla things made it "bearable."

1. My sis, who came as a "guest."
   
2. My co-worker, Dirk, who happened to be in the 'hood at the time. (And yes, thanks to sis, we managed to get him in to the party despite the "Private Event. Invite Only" sign on the front door and a very "serious, no-nonsense-looking, private security dude"-- an ex- or moonlighting cop, judging from his height, demeanor and swagger -- at the door.)
3. And finally, the sight of seeing a whole line of Mini-Es parked on Broadway!!!

That last point was a pretty impressive sight. More so, when you think about the string (and moola!) BMW must've pulled to get NYPD to set aside an enter block just for Mini-E drivers!

And naturally, it was REALLY easy for BMW (and the event organizers) to "spot" us Mini-E drivers coming. I (and my sis) in 339 was just pulling up alongside the line of other Mini-Es and immediately one gal and a guy was out on the curb, moving the cone that "reserved" the space, while someone else was snapping away with a digital camera.

"Can I take this space?" I ask?

"Of course you can," said the woman, "You're obviously a Mini-E pioneer!"

("Wow, what gave it away?" I thought. But dang it if I still didn't first think, "Wow! Just like a 'rock-star' or other celeb!")

Anyway, I wish I could say I enjoyed the rest of the event. But like I said, mixers aren't my thing. And I have opinions about how the thing was arranged. (Let's just say, BMW/Mini really need to get better event organizers!)

And of course, being a totally dense geek I can be at times (such as tonight), I did NOT have a digital camera with me to snap a pic of the sight. But hopefully Stuart Greenburg -- the owner/operator/pioneer of Mini-E 277 AND the guy who was snapping the pics of me and Mini-E 339 pulling up to the event!! -- will post his pics on his blog (My Mini E) soon.

Dirk captured some of the line of Mini-E when he snapped the pic of me and 339 (above) using his iPhone. (Dirk is obviously a MUCH more "with it" guy than your truly. One of those pics made it up on his Facebook page within minutes of his snapping it, again, thanks to his iPhone. Thanks, Dirk, for "outting" me here and on Facebook! ;-))

Until next time...

- Paul

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