HI - I'm Got Plug? I'm a Mini E. That's an electric car being field tested by Mini. I have a few hundred siblings in the United States. We mostly reside on the left and right coasts where brave volunteers are pioneering with us. The volunteers are, for the most part, humans. You know; feet instead of tires, eyes instead of headlamps, pretty weird but they seem likable enough.

So, I am going to try to keep you interested with a diary of my activities here in the USA. I come from Germany which, of course, means I am very smart, good looking, fast, and thrifty.

Me on the MINI E E*Tour

Me on the MINI E E*Tour
All tucked in for the night

Monday, July 20, 2009

Got Plug? Chapter 4

I got my present, and wow, is it hot! I got home the other day and a 220 40 Amp special charger box, dedicated just for me, was mounted right by my bed in the garage!

It’s source is solar power and I can drink in the solar juice and be stuffed to the gills in just 4 1/2 hours. I used to have to suck on 110v electricity for about 30 hours before I could manage a decent belch.

Well, enough about the present, I had a big week.

I passed my Commuting 101 exam, with 6 miles to spare. The commute was quite a challenge, over a hundred miles of varying conditions with mostly highway miles. At the half way point Jo (my female person) had to go work so Don (who doesn’t work nearly as much as Jo) gave me some 110v to sip. Nine hours later we headed back to Shelter Island. I had a one hour sprint at like 70 mph and car, was I sacked. When we got off the Expressway we had about 30 miles to my garage, but I swear I could only make 14 miles at this rate; and I told Don that in my display window.. My display window translates the obvious into squiggly lines that people can somehow comprehend. So, Don ditched the highway and headed for the through-town route. I may be a mini bit conceited, but somehow parading through local streets and stopping at lights to bask in the adoring gaze of admirers really energizes me. After about 10 miles, I told Don I was good for at least 26 more miles. We made it home with 6 miles to spare, no problem.

My people were so proud of me. It felt real good to know I could help them out. I think I’m starting to like them.

That’s it for now. See ya soon!

Happy Motoring,

GP-


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Got Plug? Chapter 3

Hi Readers -

My male person, Don, began really showing me off this week.  Down at the ferry company, where he's a captain, there are people called engineers.  Now, these guys don't drive trains like Casey Jones.  They sometimes call themselves gearheads; one of them even has an email address that is: "ferrywrench@..." Anyway, they all tend to dig engines, big engines like the Twin Detroit Series 60 Diesels that power our boats.

Don took me down to the docks to show me off.  As you may know, I'm a little small, so at first I didn't cause much of a stir.  There were plenty of  "I like the smell of diesel..." and "There's nothing like the sound of horsepower..." comments. Then it was mentioned that The Electric Boat Corporation is the premiere designer and builder of nuclear submarines for the United States Navy;  and is located just across the Sound on the Connecticut River.  So, maybe electric and quiet is cool after all.

With that in mind, Don easily convinced two of them, Brian and Gene, to take runs with me.

Brian had a blast with me and thought I was a rocket.  Gene, who is retired from the ferry and now spends his time moving big things (like trees, boulders, and houses) said I was awesome. The next night he even brought a friend down to the docks to take a ride with me.

It all goes to show that it's easy to make friends is you're smart, good looking, thrifty, fast, regal, elegant, and polite.  Of course, it also helps to be humble.

Since I was so good to my guest drivers, my people promised me a surprise.  I hope I get it soon so I can tell you about it next week!

Happy Motoring,
GP-




Friday, July 3, 2009

Got Plug? Chapter 2

Boredom; I’m talking apathy, frustration, dullness, and monotony.  My people had to leave me for a week!  I guess they didn’t want to, but still, I’m just a kid and need to play.  But don’t worry, this has a happy ending, I promise.

So here’s what happened.  Don, the male person, had to got help some really cool Bands do concerts at Jones Beach.  Man, did I want to go.  There was Kenny Chesney, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, The Fray, No Doubt, Bad Company, and the Doobie Brothers.  And that’s not to mention parking lots full of sexy European sports cars that would certainly thought I was the cutest thing in the world (because I am).   But, my people said it was just too far for me to go, that I wasn’t strong enough to get there and back.

So, to give me something to do, they devised a “Charge Sustainability Test” for me to take while they were gone.  They checked my charge level and range before they left.  I had a 92% charge and a range of 89 miles.  At first I thought the heck with them.  If they’re gonna leave me I teach them a lesson and let them look at 0% and a 0 mile range when they come home.  Then I realized that I was here to help the people, and it was up to me to do them proud.  So, I did some exercises before nodding off and when they came home they woke me to find a 94% charge with a range of 91 miles.  

They were so proud they even posted the results on Facebook and gave me an A+ grade!  How cool is that?

Thanks for stopping by, see you next week!

GP-