[JD6]

Following on from the threads about EV chargers and Octopus, I have now agreed to buy a 1 year old Mini Electric Level 3 to replace my current Mini. Thanks for the advice on those threads. In particular pointing out that a car like this can manage with a 13A socket and how that works with Intelligent Octopus.

This all started when my 8 was in for the day a few weeks ago. I had a call the day before to say the loan car I was due to have hadn't been returned and would I mind a Mini Electric. I said fine as long as it's fully charged so I get to try it out properly.

Turns out it's much more fun that I remembered. The last time I drove one it had very little charge so I had to eek out the miles to ensure I could make it back to the dealer. This time I got to see what it can do...

Collection is next week. I'll post pics then.

[un1eash]

Hopefully you got a good price. There was a guy on the F56 forum warning people they lost £10k in the first year on a new EV Mini and was currently in negative equity on a PCP so stuck with the car.

[JD6]

Originally Posted by un1eash

Hopefully you got a good price. There was a guy on the F56 forum warning people they lost £10k in the first year on a new EV Mini and was currently in negative equity on a PCP so stuck with the car.

I think that's true of all EVs - the backtracking on the 2030 cut off, plus some oversupply and leases ending has hit the market. I think the price was good and takes that into account. I spoke to several dealers to see how far they could be pushed.

Time will tell I guess.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by JD6

I think that's true of all EVs - the backtracking on the 2030 cut off, plus some oversupply and leases ending has hit the market. I think the price was good and takes that into account. I spoke to several dealers to see how far they could be pushed.

Time will tell I guess.

Too many people worrying too much about the price and forgetting to enjoy the car! Have fun, it will be perfect for you to complement the 8, it might be so much fun the big car gets left at home a lot...



L3 comes with a fistful of kit too, right?

[E60525d]

Originally Posted by JD6

I think that's true of all EVs - the backtracking on the 2030 cut off, plus some oversupply and leases ending has hit the market. I think the price was good and takes that into account. I spoke to several dealers to see how far they could be pushed.

Time will tell I guess.

What sort of range do they offer?

[E60525d]

Originally Posted by un1eash

Hopefully you got a good price. There was a guy on the F56 forum warning people they lost £10k in the first year on a new EV Mini and was currently in negative equity on a PCP so stuck with the car.

Yeah it's bad time for those who bought EVs in the past year or so. I still think they have lots to drop and therefore would be spending a lot to buy one. Around £12k ISH max.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by E60525d

Yeah it's bad time for those who bought EVs in the past year or so. I still think they have lots to drop and therefore would be spending a lot to buy one. Around £12k ISH max.

I sold my 8 year old ICE Mini for 7k a few weeks ago, £12k doesnt buy you much Mini at all....

If you dont want to lose money on a car, best bet is not to buy one.... However at 2p a mile for home charging on Octopus versus what, 19p a mile for an ICE one for petrol, you make a bit of a saving back... if money is what really drives the car buying decision...

[JD6]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Too many people worrying too much about the price and forgetting to enjoy the car! Have fun, it will be perfect for you to complement the 8, it might be so much fun the big car gets left at home a lot...



L3 comes with a fistful of kit too, right?

I think we're in a similar frame of mind. Better to spend it on something you enjoy now than plan to be wealthy in your 70s and 80s...

Yes the L3 kit is really good. Decent leather, pano roof, HK, HUD, rear camera... This one has a couple of extras beyond that

[JD6]

Originally Posted by E60525d

What sort of range do they offer?

The official range is 140 miles, which seems to mean about 100 in practice with my right foot. It's very much a second car range, but the lighter battery does help it to handle like a Mini. The 8 is there for the longer trips.

[E60525d]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

I sold my 8 year old ICE Mini for 7k a few weeks ago, £12k doesnt buy you much Mini at all....

If you dont want to lose money on a car, best bet is not to buy one.... However at 2p a mile for home charging on Octopus versus what, 19p a mile for an ICE one for petrol, you make a bit of a saving back... if money is what really drives the car buying decision...

Agree with most points there, we have a 'cheap' EV as a 2nd car and it works well. But it's all well and good having cheap running costs but having big deprecation at the same time isn't good.

Anyway, congrats and enjoy!

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by E60525d

Agree with most points there, we have a 'cheap' EV as a 2nd car and it works well. But it's all well and good having cheap running costs but having big deprecation at the same time isn't good.

Anyway, congrats and enjoy!

My EV wasnt cheap (when I bought it anyway!) but I bought it because I wanted to try one, the iPace is genuinely a good car, if not the last word in EV efficiency and modernity. I bought my Mini because I wanted a fun car...

My pension and ISAs are where I go to worry about money. I knew both would be relatively expensive ways of filling their own brief, but they give me pleasure. If I wanted cheap A to B I'd buy my Mums Chevvy Spark from her....

[JD6]

Originally Posted by E60525d

Agree with most points there, we have a 'cheap' EV as a 2nd car and it works well. But it's all well and good having cheap running costs but having big deprecation at the same time isn't good.

Anyway, congrats and enjoy!

My approach to cars is just to buy what I like. I’ll try and get a good deal when buying and then just accept that they will depreciate.

Just like the IPace, neither the 840i and Mini Electric wouldn’t be at the top of the list if resale was the priority. I generally hold onto cars for years and what feels like a certainty today (EVs dropping faster than ICEs) may not last.

[KRS_SN]

Your timing is good. EV used values are at an absolute crater and its a good time to buy. A small car with a small battery would be fun and comfortable with the quiet drivetrain. Electric minis are popular and fly under the radar because they are styled like a normal mini to most eyes. Keep us posted.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

I sold my 8 year old ICE Mini for 7k a few weeks ago, £12k doesnt buy you much Mini at all....

£12k ish will get you a Mini EV though with around 26k on the clock which is pretty good.


https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...wf41nd&fromsra

[Steve_M_Sport]

There are currently over 1300 Cupra Born’s immediately available on the Cupra UK website which is indicative of the lack of demand for EVs. No wonder production has ended for 2023. New bigger capacity engine due next year isn’t helping I guess ?

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by Steve_M_Sport

There are currently over 1300 Cupra Born’s immediately available on the Cupra UK website which is indicative of the lack of demand for EVs. No wonder production has ended for 2023. New bigger capacity engine due next year isn’t helping I guess ?

Holy wow. That’s a terrible seller!
Congrats JD6 cool package the minis.

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Steve_M_Sport

There are currently over 1300 Cupra Born’s immediately available on the Cupra UK website which is indicative of the lack of demand for EVs. No wonder production has ended for 2023. New bigger capacity engine due next year isn’t helping I guess ?

Maybe also the old phrase “you can put lipstick on a (very expensive) pig, but…”

The ID3 hasn’t exactly flown off the forecourts (I hardly see any on the roads), the capacitive touch controls were widely criticised as pretty much unusable, and when Cupra finally announced pricing I de-registered my interest.

[Bryans69]

Originally Posted by Watsey

Maybe also the old phrase “you can put lipstick on a (very expensive) pig, but…”

The ID3 hasn’t exactly flown off the forecourts (I hardly see any on the roads), the capacitive touch controls were widely criticised as pretty much unusable, and when Cupra finally announced pricing I de-registered my interest.

The MK8 Golf etc is pretty poor inside, and they seem to have made the EVs even worse from what I've seen. Given that and challenging looks, why would you go for one over a Tesla?

If you are after an EV, I don't really think any of the family sized cars are particularly appealing as far as aesthetics are concerned, so surely you just go for the best implementation

[DB118D]

Originally Posted by Steve_M_Sport

There are currently over 1300 Cupra Born’s immediately available on the Cupra UK website which is indicative of the lack of demand for EVs. No wonder production has ended for 2023. New bigger capacity engine due next year isn’t helping I guess ?

Not to mention the fact that Porsche dealers can't give Taycan's away just now and are apparently breaking production to try and clear the stock backlog

[KRS_SN]

You can force manufacturers to make them with punitive EV quota fines but can't force the public to buy them. Paradoxical effect in effect.

[Steve_M_Sport]

Originally Posted by Watsey

Maybe also the old phrase “you can put lipstick on a (very expensive) pig, but…”

The ID3 hasn’t exactly flown off the forecourts (I hardly see any on the roads), the capacitive touch controls were widely criticised as pretty much unusable, and when Cupra finally announced pricing I de-registered my interest.

Reports say the upcoming ID2 is going back to old fashioned switches & knobs rather than a touch screen for everything.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...olkswagen-id-2