Silent running...
It's one of the things about #339 that I haven't really decided how I feel about exactly.
On the one hand, I think it's a hoot!
How do I fully convey what it's like to be able to pull out of my driveway early in the morning -- or come home really late, like at oh-dark-thirty hour -- and not make a sound?
"Magical"??
"Mystical"??
Or when I cruise through a parking lot and the people walking in the lot that I drive by or follow (to get their parking space, of course) are just startled that this "car" is just there and moving -- and they just had no clue!
Priceless.
But then I started hearing/reading that people are complaining about all these "silent hybrid and electric cars."
Really?
OK. I can understand why blind pedestrians would be concerned about silent cars like 339. So, maybe it is a Good Thing(tm) that they're training guide dogs for the silent dangers. (Seriously!! Click the link!!!!)
And maybe under that pretense, I can understand why Japanese car-makers are considering "noisier" hybrids.
BUT... Why can't I help think this is a Stupid Idea?? I mean just look at Lotus' plan for external speakers on hybrid cars -- just so they can make noise to warn pedestrians when the car's in electric mode.
Seems extremely silly to me!!! Not to mention, an added expense and complexity 'cause now you have to program the computer to switch on the speaker only when the hybrid's gas engine shuts off.
And, oh, then you have to program it so the sounds that come out of the external speaker are loud enough at the right speeds...
And let's not forget about being able to program the "right" sounds...
Hmmm... The rumble of a V8 engine? The whine of a jet engine? Or should it be just a "beep-beep-beep-beep"?? Oh, I know... let's make it customer adjustable... You know, like cell phone ring tones!!!
Oh.
Joy.
Yet another annoying bit of noise that I would need to shut out mentally!
AND, it might come to next-gen electric cars. Fisker's already planning on it.
Still, it does seem REALLY STUPID to me. And, I'll admit, maybe that's because I'm such a "pioneer" and use to the idea of "silent running?"
I mean, I'm pretty much conditioned to rolling down my window and cranking up my radio when I pull into a crowded shopping mall parking lot. You know, so I can "make noise" as 339 rolls "silently" among the rows of cars and mindless shoppers -- those who are more intent on looking for their cars or struggling with their packages or yakking away on their cell phones or flirting and having fun with their girl friends rather than actually, you know, pay attention to where they're walking? (Honestly, you could be driving a big, rumbling, yellow, blue-smoke-belching school bus and they would be clueless that you're behind them!)
And I gotta question.. What's the point?
I mean, wouldn't a QUIETER world be an Even Better Thing(tm)?? Shouldn't we be working toward making ALL cars and other vehicles into electrical or hybrid vehicles? (You know, turning all those MILLIONS of vehicles in the U.S. into Earth-friendly transportation systems -- and "silent killers?")
And in all honesty, I can't wait for the day when I'm sitting in silence in stop-and-go-traffic because MY car isn't making noise idling (and wasting fuel!!!) AND because ALL the cars around me -- including that stupidly big, slow and ugly school bus filled with noisy brats! -- are ALSO silent because they're NOT idling and wasting fuel!!
And just try and imagine this: You're standing on the corner of Broadway and 42nd Street in Manhattan on a bright, sunny work day afternoon waiting to cross the street. And when traffic stops all you would hear is.... Silence!! No idling engines... No rumble of trucks and buses. I mean, they're there. But... SILENT!
Wouldn't New York... The WORLD... Be a MUCH nicer place???
So why are we still conditioning people to EXPECT cars to MAKE "noise"??? Why should something that is wonderful -- and wonderfully different -- be made "ordinary"??? Shouldn't we be doing the exact opposite??
But then, on the other hand... After all this "tirade" against adding noise to the silent-running electric car.... I gotta admit. I do sometimes miss the roar of a throaty V8 engine.
And to be honest, the geek in me is right now SCREAMING: "DUDE....!!! How cool would it be to be able to download a 'car tone' that makes 339 sounds like a Battlestar Galactica Viper?!?!?!?! Or maybe even like a UFO or a stealth fighter or an X-wing??? "
To make noise or not make noise??? Silent running or not-so-silent running???
I'm still torn....
Vive la difference!!!!
Read more!
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
15 September 2009
11 September 2009
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!"
Read more!
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!"
Read more!
03 September 2009
And at the end of the day...
...The grand experiment to obtain the most-mileage-yet from Mini-E #339 comes to an end.
From work to Kew Gardens to pick up sis... From pick-up to home... through some very light stop-and-go traffic....
But... Finally... Home.
339's now sitting in the driveway, sucking down juice. Her fans are whirring quietly to keep her battery's temp (which never broke 90-degrees today, BTW) in line with the ambient temps -- around the 70s -- during the charging cycle.
And the verdict?
Take a look:
That's right... 339's home with the potential for 52 miles-worth of travel. Fifty-two miles...
Add that to the 63.6 miles she and I have actually done today and you have...
One hundred-fifteen miles, boys and girls!!!
Wow.
Seriously.
I am impressed.
Sorta.
I mean, yeah. Traveling (or "potentially traveling") 115 miles still can't compare to the range (and convenience) you can get from a conventionally-powered car. No, not even close.
But it's more than enough range for my typical, daily needs. And probably more than enough capability for most (if not all) commuters who drive to work.
And then there's the "hidden" bonuses from an all-electric car... No fumes from tailpipes... Much simpler mechanics (less maintenance)... The instant torque... The silence when pulling into the driveway late at night... ("Super-stealth mode, 339! Make it so!")
Still...
At what cost???
Driving no faster than 60 miles an hour with no heavy-footed acceleration -- even though those wonderful German engineers and eggheads designed my baby to go faster than 95-MPH?? And to be able to do so with no emissions -- except maybe a smoking trail of rubber on asphalt?
(Well, 339 could do all of that if it weren't for those pesky electronics, the speed governor and the vehicle stability control/tire-slip limiters!!! But I digress...)
Still, does being environmentally-friendly have to mean the death of speed, excitement, and good-old-fashioned-unadulterated thrill of being behind the wheel of a finely-tuned and well-designed piece of machinary that just screams, "Drive me!"???
Must we all, in order to "save the planet," give up the true joy of driving?? (Oh, the humanity, ladies and gentlemen... the humanity!)
Maybe I just need to get behind the wheel of a Tesla? After all, it seemed to knock the socks off of BBC's Top Gear host, Jeremy Clarkson.
Almost.
::sigh::
Maybe just as I've learned to (re)adjust my right foot... Maybe my "need for speed" attitude will (re)adjust as well.
Maybe now that summer vacation season is over -- and highway traffic builds back to the usual bumper-to-bumper stand-still... thanks to all those school buses and SUVs driven by multi-tasking soccer moms who just have to drive with one-hand on the wheel, head turned back yelling at the kids while gabbing on the cellphone... (But I digress...)
Yeah... Maybe once I get back into "real," everyday, New York City traffic-driving where it becomes painfully obvious that having a car that can do 100+ MPH is pretty much pointless since all you're doing during the entire commute is just sit... crawl... sit... crawl...
Oh, and all that expensive gasoline... just constantly burning away... while you sit... then crawl... sit... then crawl...
But I digress...
Anyway... Maybe I will soon have a complete attitude adjustment since school after Labor Day.
Maybe I'll be wooed once again at how 339's silent and comfy "cockpit" magically transforms those maddeningly slow "rush" hour commutes into a Zen-like experience.
Maybe.
Thankfully, I'll have about 10 more months with 339 to find out! :-)
Maybe. (Still waiting to hear from BMW about "faulty battery module #42.") Read more!
From work to Kew Gardens to pick up sis... From pick-up to home... through some very light stop-and-go traffic....
But... Finally... Home.
339's now sitting in the driveway, sucking down juice. Her fans are whirring quietly to keep her battery's temp (which never broke 90-degrees today, BTW) in line with the ambient temps -- around the 70s -- during the charging cycle.
And the verdict?
Take a look:
That's right... 339's home with the potential for 52 miles-worth of travel. Fifty-two miles...Add that to the 63.6 miles she and I have actually done today and you have...
115 miles
One hundred-fifteen miles, boys and girls!!!
Wow.
Seriously.
I am impressed.
Sorta.
I mean, yeah. Traveling (or "potentially traveling") 115 miles still can't compare to the range (and convenience) you can get from a conventionally-powered car. No, not even close.
But it's more than enough range for my typical, daily needs. And probably more than enough capability for most (if not all) commuters who drive to work.
And then there's the "hidden" bonuses from an all-electric car... No fumes from tailpipes... Much simpler mechanics (less maintenance)... The instant torque... The silence when pulling into the driveway late at night... ("Super-stealth mode, 339! Make it so!")
Still...
At what cost???
Driving no faster than 60 miles an hour with no heavy-footed acceleration -- even though those wonderful German engineers and eggheads designed my baby to go faster than 95-MPH?? And to be able to do so with no emissions -- except maybe a smoking trail of rubber on asphalt?
(Well, 339 could do all of that if it weren't for those pesky electronics, the speed governor and the vehicle stability control/tire-slip limiters!!! But I digress...)
Still, does being environmentally-friendly have to mean the death of speed, excitement, and good-old-fashioned-unadulterated thrill of being behind the wheel of a finely-tuned and well-designed piece of machinary that just screams, "Drive me!"???
Must we all, in order to "save the planet," give up the true joy of driving?? (Oh, the humanity, ladies and gentlemen... the humanity!)
Maybe I just need to get behind the wheel of a Tesla? After all, it seemed to knock the socks off of BBC's Top Gear host, Jeremy Clarkson.
Almost.
::sigh::
Maybe just as I've learned to (re)adjust my right foot... Maybe my "need for speed" attitude will (re)adjust as well.
Maybe now that summer vacation season is over -- and highway traffic builds back to the usual bumper-to-bumper stand-still... thanks to all those school buses and SUVs driven by multi-tasking soccer moms who just have to drive with one-hand on the wheel, head turned back yelling at the kids while gabbing on the cellphone... (But I digress...)
Yeah... Maybe once I get back into "real," everyday, New York City traffic-driving where it becomes painfully obvious that having a car that can do 100+ MPH is pretty much pointless since all you're doing during the entire commute is just sit... crawl... sit... crawl...
Oh, and all that expensive gasoline... just constantly burning away... while you sit... then crawl... sit... then crawl...
But I digress...
Anyway... Maybe I will soon have a complete attitude adjustment since school after Labor Day.
Maybe I'll be wooed once again at how 339's silent and comfy "cockpit" magically transforms those maddeningly slow "rush" hour commutes into a Zen-like experience.
Maybe.
Thankfully, I'll have about 10 more months with 339 to find out! :-)
Maybe. (Still waiting to hear from BMW about "faulty battery module #42.") Read more!
02 September 2009
My Mini's not 100%!!!
I realized I never posted what happened after Mini-E #339 went in for her check-up.
Well, nothing.
At least, I thought everything was fine until today!
I picked her up at the end of last Tuesday and Aleks, the Mini service dude at BMW Mini Manhattan, said she came back with a clean bill of health from the "flying doctors" who came in and physically checked her out.
"Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be good to go," said Aleks. "Next check-up, by the way, is 5,000 miles later. 8,000 total."
"Super! " I said. "So, ummmm... You guys don't mind that I sometimes... ah... 'push' her a little hard??" I ask.
"No, we want you push. Drive like this Mini like you would any other."
"Really? Even if I'm a bit... ah... 'heavy-footed'?"
"Well... How 'heavy'?"
"Uhhhh... Well... I know the Mini's [speed] governor kicks in at 95 MPH... And ah, I'm not sayin' that I... uh... consciously go that fast all the time.... Or even that I really want to or need to go that fast... But..."
"Uh , yeah... Well, the car has a governor for a reason, you know," said Aleks. "Wait... Where in New York [City] do you drive where you can hit speeds of ninety-five miles an hour???"
"Uh... I'd rather not say." And I flashed him a sheepish grin. "And uh... Like I said... It's not like it's a habit for me or anything...." (at which point my sheepishness turned to a slightly mischievous smile.)
"Ummm... Ok... Well, I suppose you know you can't sustain that kind of speed for any length of time..."
(Oh boy... you don't have to tell me about that, brother! I found that out all too... ahh... "suddenly." But that's another story. Maybe.)
"Yeah, I know," I said. "But 70... 75 miles per hour... That's about normally where I cruise..."
"Oh... Well... You should be fine with that," he said. "Of course, you know, constant travel at that speed will impact range."
"Yeah, I suspect it's why I'm not getting anywhere close to the estimated 100-mile range." (Me and 339 are getting around 80- to 92-miles per charge.)
"Yep. That'll do it," said Aleks. "But if you're ok with that -- and as long as you can make it back home to charge -- there should be no problem with driving it as you have been. Just keep doing what you're doing cause BMW wants to know if these cars will handle various driving conditions."
"Super!! I'll see you in 5,000 miles, then!"
At least, that's what I thought.... Until I answered my cell phone just now.
"Paul? It's Aleks over at BMW Mini Manhattan."
"Oh. Hey. What's up?"
"When you bought your Mini over for servicing last week, the engineers did a full download... and they found a problem."
Ut oh. I haven't, for various reasons, driven her daily since I picked her up last week. And when I did (like today, to get to work), I really did do an easy commute. Really. (The fastest I drove her this morning was 60MPH. And boy... Was it The. Most. Boring. Commute. EVER. Ev-ah!!!)
"What kinda problem?"
"It seems battery module #42 is faulty."
"What? 'Battery module #42?' 42 out of how many?" I joked half-heartedly.
"I don't know. All I can say is this is what the field engineers are telling me."
"Oh, ok... So... How bad is it? I mean I drove it this morning and I didn't have a problem with it. But to be honest, I'm wondering if that's why I'm still not getting anywhere close to the 100-mile range per charge?"
"What are you getting?"
"Well, I practically left it constantly plugged in since Sunday night. And this morning, the gauge still only estimated 94 miles."
"Well, I don't know," said Aleks. "Could be. All it says in their [field engineer's] politely-worded e-mail is, 'Please advise customer to bring Mini-E in at earliest convenience to replace faulty battery module #42.' How they can tell exactly which module is 'faulty' and what's wrong with it is beyond me, but... anyway... So when can you bring it in?"
"Well, how long will it take to fix?"
"Well, we actually have to ship the car back to..." ("Uh oh," I thought. "Not back to Germany!")
"...We have to flat bed it back to them in Jersey where the engineers can take it apart and replace it and run diagnostic.... I'm told about a week."
Nuts!
"A week? Really?"
"Yes, unfortunately," he said. "But obviously, we'll arrange a loaner for you."
(Gee, swell... unlike last time?)
"I'll assume you'll want another Mini," said Aleks. "And depending on when you can bring it in, that shouldn't be a problem. But on the off-chance, I can't... I might have to give you just a BMW. I hope that will be ok?"
"Oh, well... If I have to.... I suppose I miiiight be 'ok' -- Juuuuuust 'ok,' mind you -- with a 'lowly BMW'... I mean, honestly... If that's alll you have..." I said with obvious good-natured ribbing.
"Hang on a sec," I said. "Could you find out how urgently this repair is needed? You see, I'm going on vacation soon.... And well, since I wouldn't need the car anyway...."
"Let me check and get back to you."
Needless to say... That's where things stand.
::sigh::
A whole week without 339! :-(
But maybe a whole week with a Beamer???? Hmmmm... I suppose a 128i coupe? Or a 328i sedan? dare I dream of a 5- or 7-series? Maybe an X3 or an X5?
Oooooh... How about a moto? Maybe a K 1200 LT!!! Read more!
Well, nothing.
At least, I thought everything was fine until today!
I picked her up at the end of last Tuesday and Aleks, the Mini service dude at BMW Mini Manhattan, said she came back with a clean bill of health from the "flying doctors" who came in and physically checked her out.
"Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be good to go," said Aleks. "Next check-up, by the way, is 5,000 miles later. 8,000 total."
"Super! " I said. "So, ummmm... You guys don't mind that I sometimes... ah... 'push' her a little hard??" I ask.
"No, we want you push. Drive like this Mini like you would any other."
"Really? Even if I'm a bit... ah... 'heavy-footed'?"
"Well... How 'heavy'?"
"Uhhhh... Well... I know the Mini's [speed] governor kicks in at 95 MPH... And ah, I'm not sayin' that I... uh... consciously go that fast all the time.... Or even that I really want to or need to go that fast... But..."
"Uh , yeah... Well, the car has a governor for a reason, you know," said Aleks. "Wait... Where in New York [City] do you drive where you can hit speeds of ninety-five miles an hour???"
"Uh... I'd rather not say." And I flashed him a sheepish grin. "And uh... Like I said... It's not like it's a habit for me or anything...." (at which point my sheepishness turned to a slightly mischievous smile.)
"Ummm... Ok... Well, I suppose you know you can't sustain that kind of speed for any length of time..."
(Oh boy... you don't have to tell me about that, brother! I found that out all too... ahh... "suddenly." But that's another story. Maybe.)
"Yeah, I know," I said. "But 70... 75 miles per hour... That's about normally where I cruise..."
"Oh... Well... You should be fine with that," he said. "Of course, you know, constant travel at that speed will impact range."
"Yeah, I suspect it's why I'm not getting anywhere close to the estimated 100-mile range." (Me and 339 are getting around 80- to 92-miles per charge.)
"Yep. That'll do it," said Aleks. "But if you're ok with that -- and as long as you can make it back home to charge -- there should be no problem with driving it as you have been. Just keep doing what you're doing cause BMW wants to know if these cars will handle various driving conditions."
"Super!! I'll see you in 5,000 miles, then!"
At least, that's what I thought.... Until I answered my cell phone just now.
"Paul? It's Aleks over at BMW Mini Manhattan."
"Oh. Hey. What's up?"
"When you bought your Mini over for servicing last week, the engineers did a full download... and they found a problem."
Ut oh. I haven't, for various reasons, driven her daily since I picked her up last week. And when I did (like today, to get to work), I really did do an easy commute. Really. (The fastest I drove her this morning was 60MPH. And boy... Was it The. Most. Boring. Commute. EVER. Ev-ah!!!)
"What kinda problem?"
"It seems battery module #42 is faulty."
"What? 'Battery module #42?' 42 out of how many?" I joked half-heartedly.
"I don't know. All I can say is this is what the field engineers are telling me."
"Oh, ok... So... How bad is it? I mean I drove it this morning and I didn't have a problem with it. But to be honest, I'm wondering if that's why I'm still not getting anywhere close to the 100-mile range per charge?"
"What are you getting?"
"Well, I practically left it constantly plugged in since Sunday night. And this morning, the gauge still only estimated 94 miles."
"Well, I don't know," said Aleks. "Could be. All it says in their [field engineer's] politely-worded e-mail is, 'Please advise customer to bring Mini-E in at earliest convenience to replace faulty battery module #42.' How they can tell exactly which module is 'faulty' and what's wrong with it is beyond me, but... anyway... So when can you bring it in?"
"Well, how long will it take to fix?"
"Well, we actually have to ship the car back to..." ("Uh oh," I thought. "Not back to Germany!")
"...We have to flat bed it back to them in Jersey where the engineers can take it apart and replace it and run diagnostic.... I'm told about a week."
Nuts!
"A week? Really?"
"Yes, unfortunately," he said. "But obviously, we'll arrange a loaner for you."
(Gee, swell... unlike last time?)
"I'll assume you'll want another Mini," said Aleks. "And depending on when you can bring it in, that shouldn't be a problem. But on the off-chance, I can't... I might have to give you just a BMW. I hope that will be ok?"
"Oh, well... If I have to.... I suppose I miiiight be 'ok' -- Juuuuuust 'ok,' mind you -- with a 'lowly BMW'... I mean, honestly... If that's alll you have..." I said with obvious good-natured ribbing.
"Hang on a sec," I said. "Could you find out how urgently this repair is needed? You see, I'm going on vacation soon.... And well, since I wouldn't need the car anyway...."
"Let me check and get back to you."
Needless to say... That's where things stand.
::sigh::
A whole week without 339! :-(
But maybe a whole week with a Beamer???? Hmmmm... I suppose a 128i coupe? Or a 328i sedan? dare I dream of a 5- or 7-series? Maybe an X3 or an X5?
Oooooh... How about a moto? Maybe a K 1200 LT!!! Read more!
06 August 2009
All charged up!!!
It's not just the Mini-E that's all juiced... But I am jazzed too!!!!!
I just got off the phone with a journalist for a French newspaper called, Le Parisien. He read my humble little blog and interviewed me for an article he's working on regarding Obama's massive $2.4 billion government grant for automotive battery development!!!
Check out the New York Times story:
$2 Billion in Grants to Bolster U.S. Manufacturing of Parts for Electric Cars
Anyway, I'm really PSYCHED!!
I didn't vote for Obama. But I like this move to push for battery development -- even though "the other guy" proposed the same thing during last year's campaign, too!
Moreover, anything that promotes/advances electric cars and revitalizes the U.S. auto industry (which, according to the NY Times article, has a big opportunity in this still-very-level playing field!) and lessen our dependency on fossil fuels from countries that hate and want to kill us....
That, my friends, is a Good Thing™.
Now, excuse me while I run out to the company parking lot with a few of my friends/co-workers to take pictures of me and #339 to go with this fellow's article for Le Parisien!
Stay tuned!!! ;-) Read more!
I just got off the phone with a journalist for a French newspaper called, Le Parisien. He read my humble little blog and interviewed me for an article he's working on regarding Obama's massive $2.4 billion government grant for automotive battery development!!!
Check out the New York Times story:
$2 Billion in Grants to Bolster U.S. Manufacturing of Parts for Electric Cars
Anyway, I'm really PSYCHED!!
I didn't vote for Obama. But I like this move to push for battery development -- even though "the other guy" proposed the same thing during last year's campaign, too!
- McCain calls for $300 million prize for better car battery
- John McCain, Battery Booster
- Obama joins the anti-McCain battery prize league (Consider this was in June 25, 2008, several days after McCain announced his proposal. See above.)
Moreover, anything that promotes/advances electric cars and revitalizes the U.S. auto industry (which, according to the NY Times article, has a big opportunity in this still-very-level playing field!) and lessen our dependency on fossil fuels from countries that hate and want to kill us....
That, my friends, is a Good Thing™.
Now, excuse me while I run out to the company parking lot with a few of my friends/co-workers to take pictures of me and #339 to go with this fellow's article for Le Parisien!
Stay tuned!!! ;-) Read more!
03 August 2009
Nissan's Electric "LEAF"
Two milestone have passed. It's been over a month since I've taken delivery of Mini-E #339. And last Monday was my 42nd birthday.
I could wax poetic, nostalgic or even philosophical about these two "milestone" dates. How amazing is it that I'm still part of "the future" when it comes to transportation? I mean, I can still remember when I was a kid and I thought the year 2000 seemed "so far away"... How I'd be "old" at 33!!! But of course, so optimistic about the future!!!
"By then, we'll be vacationing in space and driving flying cars," we all thought!
Well, #339 is far from a "Magic Carpet" ride... But she comes pretty close.
And while I still think "flying cars" (a la "The Jetsons") is still pretty much a pipe-dream, I can't help but still smile when I get in #339 and thihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnk, "Yes, this is the future of cars! It HAS TO be!"
Don't believe me? Consider these links and pictures:
(LA Times) Nissan's greener-than-chlorophyll EV: The LEAF
(Pop Sci) Test Drive: Nissan’s Leaf, The Electric Car’s First Shot at the Mainstream
So, by "late 2010" Nissan will have a 5-door electric hatchback that seats 4 and gets about 100-miles tot he charge. (Highly encourage readers to follow the above links to get the full story and to see pics of the LEAF -- essentially a battery-powered Versa.)
Best part: Nissan thinks it'll street at just "under $30K" -- and that's BEFORE any government incentives!!!
Of course, this spurs a LOT of questions in my mind -- one of which, in light of this development, shouldn't BMW/Mini EXTEND the Mini-E program beyond the one-year lease to us "pioneers"??? (I mean, hey, you gotta stay competitive out there, no???? Keep the fact that THEY -- BMW -- had an electric car out there BEFORE the Nissan, right???)
IN any case, it certainly shows to me that "electric cars" will have a big(ger) presence in 2010 and hopefully "jump start" (sorry) the future of cars.
Now if we could only work on that "vacation in space," thing.... Read more!
I could wax poetic, nostalgic or even philosophical about these two "milestone" dates. How amazing is it that I'm still part of "the future" when it comes to transportation? I mean, I can still remember when I was a kid and I thought the year 2000 seemed "so far away"... How I'd be "old" at 33!!! But of course, so optimistic about the future!!!
"By then, we'll be vacationing in space and driving flying cars," we all thought!
Well, #339 is far from a "Magic Carpet" ride... But she comes pretty close.
And while I still think "flying cars" (a la "The Jetsons") is still pretty much a pipe-dream, I can't help but still smile when I get in #339 and thihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnk, "Yes, this is the future of cars! It HAS TO be!"
Don't believe me? Consider these links and pictures:
(LA Times) Nissan's greener-than-chlorophyll EV: The LEAF
(Pop Sci) Test Drive: Nissan’s Leaf, The Electric Car’s First Shot at the Mainstream
So, by "late 2010" Nissan will have a 5-door electric hatchback that seats 4 and gets about 100-miles tot he charge. (Highly encourage readers to follow the above links to get the full story and to see pics of the LEAF -- essentially a battery-powered Versa.)
Best part: Nissan thinks it'll street at just "under $30K" -- and that's BEFORE any government incentives!!!
Of course, this spurs a LOT of questions in my mind -- one of which, in light of this development, shouldn't BMW/Mini EXTEND the Mini-E program beyond the one-year lease to us "pioneers"??? (I mean, hey, you gotta stay competitive out there, no???? Keep the fact that THEY -- BMW -- had an electric car out there BEFORE the Nissan, right???)
IN any case, it certainly shows to me that "electric cars" will have a big(ger) presence in 2010 and hopefully "jump start" (sorry) the future of cars.
Now if we could only work on that "vacation in space," thing.... Read more!
23 July 2009
From 0 to 100% battery capacity... in TEN MINUTES?
Yeah, that's the goal of the egg-heads at MIT. Check this out:
From Engadget
Video: MIT working on rapid recharging for electric vehicles
Wow! I wish WE could charge the Mini-E in 10 minutes!!!
Here's the MIT blog on the project:
http://mit-evt.blogspot.com/
And here's their latest video!
Read more!
From Engadget
Video: MIT working on rapid recharging for electric vehicles
Wow! I wish WE could charge the Mini-E in 10 minutes!!!
Here's the MIT blog on the project:
http://mit-evt.blogspot.com/
And here's their latest video!
Read more!
24 June 2009
The future of liquid fuel-based cars is... "Grass"???
So, I'm sitting here after a long day of work -- made more difficult as with each passing hour, the little voice inside my head going: "You're thaaaaaaaat much closer to getting your Mini-E...." (Needless to say, concentrating on any one particular work task was just... ahhh... "slightly affected!" ;-))
It also didn't help that through-out the day, I'd get the "Hey, so I hear you're getting a Mini tomorrow...??" from several co-workers (fellow "car buffs" and "techies"like me) and office mates -- the "gang" that I hang out and go out to lunch with and "do stuff" with cuz, ya know, we're really all good buds and actually like each other's company. :-)
Of course, when you get stopped and asked that, ya can't help but stop and go, "Oh no... It's not just a 'Mini Cooper,' it's a Mini-E which means its a..." (And I wonder "Where did the day go?" ;-))
Anyway... I'm home, "rewarding" myself with some Popeye's fried chicken (my fav... Mmmmmm...) after having completed a fun -- but very "demanding" -- task yesterday. I then turn to some reading material and see the latest issue of Scientific American. And lo, what's on the cover?
The headline: "Grassoline"
The cover language: "Forget ethanol from corn. New fuels made from weeds and waste could halve U.S. oil needs.
Hmmmm... Turning to the article, the deck (the stuff after the article's headline) says:
Scientist are turning agricultural leftovers, wood and fast-growing grasses into a huge variety of biofuels -- even jet fuel. But before these next-generation biofuels go mainstream, they have to compete with oil at $60 a barrel.
Check it out here: Grassoline: Biofuels Beyond Corn
Among the article's key points:
- Second-generation biofuels made from the inedible parts of plants are the most environmentally friendly and technologically promising near-term alternatives to oil.
- Most of this "grassoline" will come from agricultural residues such as cornstalks, weedlike energy crops and wood waste.
- The U.S. can grow enough of these feedstocks to replace about half the country's total consumption of oil without affect food supplies.
Hmmmm... The second bullet caught my eye as I munched on the delicious, golden-fried, crunchy, goodness of a juicy, meaty Popeye's drumstick. (Mmmmmm...)
"Wait a sec... So, if we all demand and eat more chicken, farmers will have to have to raise more chickens to be butchered... Which means, there will be more demand for "feed corn" to "feed" (duh!) the increased number of chicken... Which means that other farmers will have to grow more feedcorn... which leads to more "agricultural residues" (like cornstalks)... which leads to more source material for cheaper, clean biofuel!!! (Not to mention, an increased amount of "fry oil" from all those fried Popeye's chickens, which can be used as a clean bio-diesel!)"
Hmmm... More fried chicken = more "agricultural residue" and more used fry oil = more "U.S.-made," clean "grassoline" and bio-diesel (AND) = LESS money for petroleum from foreign countries that hate us and would use our own money to buy more weapons and sponsor those that would kill us!!!
WoW!!!! A win-win-win-win situation!!!
C'mon people! Smell the grease!! Eat more fried chicken! The environment as well as the security of America depends on it!!!
Just kidding...(But still, check out the SciAm story! Good stuff!)
And OBVIOUSLY this is proof that I need to stop eating greasy fried food late at night and get some sleep!! But can I?? In less than 14-hours or so, I'll be behind the wheel of my very own Mini-E!!! How can I sleep?? (Especially if there's still some Popeye's left in the house?? ;-))
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