Heater News article

I saw this article on the MINI E's Heater while browsing the web
http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=102273

They say that this new electric heater developed for just for the MINI E, produces more heat then a standard car heater

They have a heat output of 3,000 watts and weigh about 1.8 kilograms. In comparison: a Beru cabin heater for internal combustion engines weighs about 0.8kg and achieves a heat output of 500 to 2,000 watts depending on the product line.

There is just no way this is true, the MINI E's heater is barely luke warm even at Max after its had time to warm up, and uses a lot more energy then the AC does. Something about this article just isnt right.

Little changes make a big difference

Little changes make a big difference in range. A few weeks ago I posted a blog entry about my range anxiety over a recent trip back from my fiancee's house, during which my charge droped down to 3% and I froze myself the most of the way, afraid to use the heater. After last week's MINI E meet up I had a chance to talk to other MINI E drivers about their range extending strategies and overcoming the MINI E's poor range in the cold. Well this weekend I put what I'd learned to the test.
When I first got the MINI E, I took a tip from HyperMilers and filled the tires to pressure well above the recommended amount. Over the last five months I'd forgotten to keep this up and when I tested my tires they were down to 30 psi, so I brought them all up to 46.5 psi. We've known for some time that driving fast kills your range, so I looked at google maps, and found they have an option to avoid highways while planning a route. I used this to plan a new route to my fiancee's house, and came up with one that uses 30miles less highway driving and is 5 miles shorter.
On my trip there I started off with a full battery, and a warm one too at 70 degrees as I'd been using it all day. The weather was a little cold 55 degrees but I was able to make the trip without using the heater, I was very tempted too though and wouldnt want to do this on a ragular basis. The MINI E is always trying to bring fresh air in to cool the batteries, unfortunately no matter where I set the air select switch it always seems to be coming in on my legs, and the recirculate button will automatically deactivate after 5 minutes, I spent most of the trip hitting the recirculate button every 5 minutes and rubbing my legs to keep them warm.
I was very careful to keep my speed down rarely going above 55, my new route had a large section of 25mph roads and stop lights at which my batteries could rest and the range increase. I completed the trip driving 71.4 miles with 41% left on the battery.
Over the weekend I let the car charge on the 110v charger, I'd planned to run the heater on Sunday to increase the battery temperature and drain the batteries a little so it would be charging overnight (while charging, the batteries generate heat) but it was fairly warm an I didnt feel like going out after dinner so I'll save that test for anouther day. I hope BMW's next electric car has a way of pre-heating the car and the battery either from a remote or on a timer.
On Monday morning the batteries were at 61 degrees, which is a little low but not bad. I drove my new route home, again trying to keep my speed under 55mph, the outside temperature was 49 degrees so I turned the heater up to full from the start, After the cabin warmed up I backed the heater off slowly to about half way, I the ride was comfurtable and I found keeping the heat blowing on my legs seemed to work best anywhere else and my legs would quickly get cold. I did not use the recyrculate button at all on this trip, I know my milage would have been better if I had, but its a pain so I'll save myself the trouble until its really cold. I arrived home after 71.4 miles with 25% charge left. Not as good as without heat but still much better then I had been doing and with my room for extra heat on those really cold days just arround the corner.

Back Driving Electric

Well it took a whole week, but #304 is finally back home and I'm driving electric again. I'm not sure what work was done on it, they were supose to be replacing a battery module but there doesnt seem to be very good communication between the dealer service reps and the flying doctors. I kept calling the dealer and they didnt know anything, even sent in an email to MINI corprate, a half an hour before hearing my MINI E was on its way to the dealer, got a nice call back the next day, and had to tell them #304 was back and they could disregard the letter.

Well communications issues asside its great to have my MINI E back, and just in time for the East Coast meet up, I'm looking forward to meeting other MINI E pioneers.

MINI E out for service

MINI E #304 has been out for service for a few days and I miss her, yes my fiancee gets jealous of her, she says I'm not allowed to sleep in the car. About a month after the 3000 mile service I got a phone call from MINI that one of the battery modules was not fully charging and they would like to replace it. It took a while to schedule a visit when the MINI E flying doctor would be in. But after I brought it in they realized it needed to go out to be serviced. So I've been driving a Gas burning Dodge from Enterprise, its no where near as fun to drive as my MINI E, but it does have Satellite radio. hopefully #304 will be back soon.

Cold weather Range Anxiety

Well after over 4 months of driving, I was feeling like I understood my Electric MINI E, it's been my regular car for all but 100 mile plus trips. Its been feeling like just a normal car, and I havent had much to report on this blog.
But my sense of normality has been shattered in the last week as Temperatures have plummeted, so has My MINI E's range. At first it seemed like a problem with the heater drawing too much energy, but it has become apparent that even with minimal or no usage of the heater, the MINI E's range has been severely reduced.
This weekend I drove the MINI E to my fiancee's as I've done many times, the ride there showed the first indication of a problem, I had to use the Heater a little bit but not too much it was 41 degrees out, and a bit cool in the cabin, but nothing too bad. I could tell I was using more charge then normal, but I never paniced and though I might not make it. The last 20 miles to her house are on a highway where 80 mph seems to to be the norm, I kept things at 65 mph and arrived at her house 78.2 miles, with 13% charge left and 11 miles to go. Thats a bit low, the first time I drove this I had 27% charge remaining, but it was within my comfort zone (just), as long as I didnt hit a detour, or miss her exit which would mean an extra 24 miles.
so on Monday morning I knew I needed to drive carefully, It was very cold it started at 35 dgrees outside and droped to 31 degrees during the course of my trip, the battery started at 48 degrees but was up to 71 by the end of the trip. At first I was afraid to use the heater, so for the first 20 miles of the trip I was freezing, I would hit the recircylate button every 5 minutes to keep from bringing in the really cold air, I kept the speed to 60 mph on the freeway, and stayed as far right as possible. After I got off the freeway the charge started to climb up and I felt I could afford a little heat before my fingers turned blue (I'd made a mistake and brought two left handed gloves, no rights) For the rest of the trip I'd bring the heater on for a little bit when I couldnt stand the cold, I had the air set to defogger to keep the fron window clear. I realized about half way that when I used recirculate the front window would fog up, but if I let the system bring in outside air it stayed clear, made for a hard choice, freezing or not being able to see. When I passed 50% at the 34 mile mark I knew it would be close.
When I got to 20% and had 20 miles to go I thought I could make it, especially as It seemed to hang at 20% a long time, but the last 10 miles to my house are on the freeway and up a very steep hill, I had to bring the car upto 60mph and was still passed by double trailer semi's going up hill. I reached the top of the hill with 3% charge left, after that it was all down hill and back roads about anouther mile to my house. I arrived with 13% charge and 11 miles to go.
I've driven the MINI E 5000 miles in 4 months but this may have been the last time I drive the MINI E to my Fiancee's house until Spring as it was just too close, and too cold. I was thinking if there had been freezing rain and I'd had to keep the defogger running at max heat to keep my window from freezing I wouldnt have even got half way, add to that the fear of being traped in the snow without heat and I dont think I'll be putting as many miles on #304 going forward.

NJ Leading the way to Solar Power

Move over California, New Jersey already has more Solar Powered Installations per mile and is growing. Here is a great article http://www.cnbc.com/id/33233060 about how State intensives are really pushing the growth of solar power in the garden state. I live in a condominium community where I cant install my own solar power but we are looking at houses and installing solar power will be a priority when we do move.

Heat

Well its starting to get cold in New Jersey so I turned on the heater in the MINI E. While driving with the Air conditioner on in the summer, barely used any electricity, I was shocked by just how much the batteries dropped when I turned on the heater. I've only run the heater for a couple days now, but the numbers are not looking good. During the summer a drive to work and back with no side trips and all on back roads a drive of 33.5 miles used 27% of the charge, but with the heater at half way and the fan on just slightly the same trip used 37% of the charge. Total range estimates are not that precise when based on these short trips, but my range has dropped from about 110 miles a charge to about 80, and this is on back roads never going faster then 45 mph. What will happen when I'm using the heater at max and driving on the highway? I'm worried about some of my longer trips, like to my fiancee's home, which is a 77 mile trip on mixed roads that uses 82% of my charge, I only have 18% to spare for heat on that trip. I'm also wondering whats the optimum temperature for the batteries, during the summer MINI recommended you use the AC to keep the batteries cool, which actually improved range, but with the heater drawing so much power I doubt it will be improving range unless its below freezing, I may be driving with my gloves on this winter.
Its still too early to say how significant heater usage is going to be, I'm going to need to collect more data ie drive with the heat at different levels. Got about 6 months to test the heater coming up.