Delivery Glitch: Mini E customers having to keep their cars plugged in for 23 hours

Posted: Jun 05, 2009

Filed under: 2009 Releases, BMW, Hybrids, Green News, MINI

Last month, the first Mini E was delivered Peter Trepp, a venture capitalist focusing on the green industry. Along with Trepp, up to 300 Mini E customers may be in for a big disappoint when they recharge the battery of their electric-Cooper, reports Open Road.

Apparently there is a glitch in the distribution of the high-voltage charging cable that comes with the Mini E. As a result, 300 of the 450 customers who have purchased a one-year lease may only charge their Mini E from a standard 110-volt wall-socket. According to Mini spokesman Nathalie Bauters, that will require them to keep their Mini E plugged in for 23 hours to reach a full charge.

The high-voltage cable for the 300 customers won’t be available until July. With the cable, the Mini E can reach full charge in 2.5 hours.

To ease the troubles hitting the “field trial participants,” Mini E owners won’t have to pay their $850/month lease until their high-speed cable arrives.

So far, BMW has delivered 23 of the 450 Mini E prototypes.

First Drive: 2009 MINI E:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Open Road (via WCF)

ASDF

" let alone he can convince the taxpayer of the multi-billion conversion costs "

Multi-billion conversion is nothing. Look at all the billions they threw at GM.

I smell inflation.

GMfan87

wow that sucks...

gekke henkie

When will the US finally realize that sooner or later they have to switch to the standard 220Volts system which would charge this car in less than half that time (more like the 11 hours in Berlin, Germany currently). Of course, no president will ever admit the inferior 110V-system, let alone he can convince the taxpayer of the multi-billion conversion costs... (by the way, when they're at it, they might as well switch from 60Hz to 50Hz as well, which could eliminate the NTSC versus PAL nightmares at the same time)