http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/incentives/

What a shame that BMW doesn’t have a motorcycle program. Oh, they do? Then why are the behind the curve on their motorcycles, as well? They are starting to turn from 20th century great performance if you have the coin machines to 21st century missed the bandwagon epic fail.

Their bow out of Formula One on weak performance after being stomped by the best of the hybrid cars (Ferarri and McLaren/Mercedes), that came in #1 and #2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, is just frosting on the cake.

Step it up, BMW. Get performance electric drive mainstream or continue to wither. Maybe a luxury turbodiesel EREV?

In reality, the car is very well finished and we knew there wouldn’t be a back seat at the time we were offered the cars. Mine actually broke down and had to have some electronics swapped out, but this is an experimental vehicle and Mini turned the car around in just over 24 hours. They are trying. Communication with owners is at least a weekly affair.

Overall, I am very positive on electric vehicles after having driven one for 6 weeks. If the range can increase to 200 miles, I think they can even graduate beyond the role of second vehicle or “city car.” Not going to gas stations is a treat. I will miss mine when its lease is up.

Regarding the e-mini, if an American manufacturer had tried to sleaze that one by, the government probably would have been all over them unless, of course, BMW gave enough money to our politicians. Perhaps it would be more honorable for BMW to forego the CARB loophole.

http://lone-renegade.mybrute.com

What irks me is the broad generalizations about all the people in the program. I know that you are one of the ones that did has some big legit complaints about the program. In fact you and one other in the program are the only two of the over 100 that I have personally talked to that have stated they are not happy with the car. The other is unhappy about the price which I understand but have no problem with myself since that is what I signed up for. There are a lot of other people involved in the whole “botched” message that have some other agenda I don’t understand. I am just a consumer so clearly there are politics here at work.

And I totally disagree that there are thousands of consumers driving cars like the Mini-E. I have tried to buy them and know. Just looks at the ones available on Ebay today. Right now. I see a Rav4, and a couple of Trucks that are nowhere near the range and pretty pricey at that. I want one and there isn’t one even close. Maybe they could be if you sunk many thousands into batts and had the knowhow to convert them to Lith but I can’t.

I agree that we should have cars like this already but don’t. And there is no other EV that a consumer can drive right now that is at all as nice as the Mini outside of the Tesla. Maybe the iMiev will do it but it is only available to governments now.

And as far as feedback, I have had quite a few discussions direct with Mini about features of the car and believe that I am being listened to. Maybe it won’t have any impact on the corporation. But doubting the people I am directly involved with are sincere I would need something more.

Maybe you are right and this will come to nothing in a year. And that would be Mini’s loss. They have shown there is a market and the car works. Someone will step in and fill that. I have no doubt.

Last rant on this forum. I will stick to blogging.
Cheers.

Electric cars have already proven them selves.

There are thousands consumers driving cars like the MINI-E that were made in the 90s. The Toyota RAV4 EV from the past gets 120 miles per charge on 7+ year old batteries.

BMW/MINIUSA has yet to ask any of the MINI-E pioneers for any feedback at all.

It’s all just a nutty corporate game played at the expense of not having made a real zero emission production car way back when.

People are leasing the MINI-E for purely selfish reasons.
Driving electric is crazy fun and not buying gas is cool.

MINI-E Pioneer.

But I share RKRB’s comments… In fact BMW helped develop the two-mode system so far, not good. If anyone wonders about the junky record they have w/ offering efficient diesels or hybrids in the U.S. just look back at concept & production car stories from this website. If looking at diesel efficiency a Jetta TDI seems to be a better buy right now & shows me some responsibility from Volkswagen. My question remains unanswered why can’t say BMW produce a EV similar in price & style to a Tesla Model S, shouldn’t be hard to compete against a small company like that? Here is the thing that gets me, BMW’s & other luxury brands are more expensive to produce but they typically create higher profits for auto makers so why w/ the extra padding do we not see more luxury companies take the lead in producing EV’s? Also the only way BMW will bring Euro diesels to the U.S. is if they were treated like a normal car company & had to comply w/ full CAFE regulations, instead they love still putting out inefficient V8 vehicles that GM & others are getting shunned for.