Find out what it’s like to drive an EV
We keep hearing about electric vehicles (EVs) and how good they are for the environment, but what are they like to drive? Most people outside California don’t have access to an EV to find out for themselves so here are a couple of places to read about being an EV owner vicariously.
EV World is publishing some of the ongoing adventures of Peder Norby of Encinitas, California (pictured above), the owner of an electric Mini Cooper, better known as a Mini E. His Mini E is known as the Mini E #183. If you want to read about all of Peder’s Mini E adventures, you can read his ongoing Blog Electric Mini. Peder has solar panels that fuel his house and his Mini E #183. He actually provides electricity to the grid. He talks about his solar energy experience in his post Mini-E #183, 123 Miles on a tank of sunshine.
Becoming a Mini E “owner” (BMW is only leasing them for now) was not easy. According to U.S. News and World Report only 450 Mini Es were made available by BMW for leasing in the United States. Autoblog Green listed the criteria that had to be met by a potential recipient of one of the 450 cars.
There are a number of guidelines that must be met to receive a new MINI E, such as the average daily driving distance required. So far, the list has shrunk down to 1,000 applicants that have made it through the first set of cuts. All those who are chosen will live in or around Los Angeles, New York or New Jersey, have a lockable garage and will need to pay $850 a month for a one-year lease.
Peder Norby made it through the gauntlet and now drives car #183. He is writing about his experiences as are a couple of other people such as Todd and Kari, the owners of Mini E #140, who hail from Long Beach, CA and Roy the owner of Mini E #30 in New Port Coast, CA.
Tom Hanks has also had a thing or two to say about driving electric cars. You can find video clips of his experiences here, here and here. His enthusiasm is contagious even if those of us living in the mountains of North Carolina aren’t considered prime candidates for EV ownership.
If you can’t join them, read about the experience and dream of the day you can drive your own EV.
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