'So far away' is 54.7 miles to be exact. I dropped the ActiveE off at New Country BMW yesterday for a regularly scheduled service. You might recall the last time it was in for scheduled service that my expectations received a dash of 'reality' also known as a 3 series loaner. And when I was towed in for an unexpected issue, I didn't bother to go get a loaner due to the distance to the dealer.
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As fun as EVs are to drive, I crave a more interactive experience like that of driving a stick. Audi engineers had a stroke of genius when converting an A3 to an EV that can definitely help with this. They took the paddle shifters resident in the A3 and made them the controls for regenerative braking level. While not quite a manual transmission, it does add back some interaction and control over the driving experience. Plus, it should maximixe the amount of energy recouped during panic braking situations. Hopefully other EV manufacturers will learn from Audi.
Driving this Mini also has me wishing that I had had the opportunity to drive the Mini-E. Even though by all accounts it is much less refined than the ActiveE, the thought of an electric Mini is particularly alluring. Perhaps one day Mini will consider building a 'born' electric Mini. Heck, they've exhausted almost every other possible Mini variation, so why not an electric Mini designed from the ground up?
I've got a bit of time until I've got to decide on what my next EV will be, and apparently several more days before I get the current one back. So for now, I'm going to love the Mini I'm with...