BMW mull lengthening Mini E lease times
Mini E - Click above for high-res image gallery
There are reasons to criticize the Mini E leases that BMW is offering – for example, that BMW is using the program to game CARB's Zero Emission Vehicle credit system – but one of the undeniable problems on the ground was some trouble with slow home charging. Because of the trouble with some home chargers at the start of the program, the manager of Mini electric vehicle operations and strategy, Richard Steinberg, told Car and Driver that BMW is considering extending the leases. There are two reasons an extension would be good for the automaker: it would keep customers happy and to it would make sure the project is in operation long enough for BMW to get the data that it is looking for. This data includes information on how often the EV was charged and how it was driven. If people couldn't drive their EVs because they were not able to charge them, then BMW doesn't get its gigabytes of data, so an extension might be best all around. No word on if customers would have to pony up more money for the extra months.
Gallery: MINI E
[Source: Car and Driver]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
why not the LS2LS7? 1:19PM (11/12/2009)
#3 reason: because it helps them continue to game the CARB ZEV credit system.
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nrb 1:25PM (11/12/2009)
The last line of the article poses a good question. Longer leases typically have a lower cost per month. What are the test subjects, um customers, expected to pay for this extension?
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paulwesterberg 1:34PM (11/12/2009)
The low low price of 800/month.
MINI 411 1:30PM (11/12/2009)
Sign me up. Mini-e #411.
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MINI 411 6:18PM (11/12/2009)
Granted, I am one lucky person to have a MINI-E, and one lucky person to have the money to lease it.
If you can't be smart, be lucky :-)
NeilBlanchard 6:40PM (11/12/2009)
So -- why does an EV have as large a grill opening as the ICE powered Mini?
Neil
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Doug 7:33PM (11/12/2009)
Because it's a conversion.
jonwil2002 10:48PM (11/12/2009)
Why doesn't California change the ZEV mandate to exclude leased cars and anything not highway legal. Gets more highway legal ZEV cars in the hands of drivers (without the ability for the car company to take the car back later on), stops car companies from "gaming" the system with leased cars that they will take back if the government changes the ZEV mandate again and wins votes from environmentalists. Win for everyone except the automakers who dont get to game the system anymore (and have to actually put ZEV cars in CA showrooms at last)
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why not the LS2LS7? 2:13AM (11/13/2009)
I would guess they think that half a loaf is better than none. There's no way to make affordable ZEVs right now, even if they did mandate it it wouldn't make it happen.
Hopefully when that changes they will push harder for real purchase options.