[Morris]

Fullycharged decided to do a comparative test of how the new Mini PHEV stacks up to the i3s. I agree with Jonny that it seems Mini seems to have lost sight of what they we're originally designed to be. The i3 is clearly a much better EV and BMW has a lot of progress to make as they continue to electrify the Mini.

 

[Coops]

Mini has a long way to go in relation to what they have delivered with their PHEV. Not only is it far too expensive, but its all electric range is really disappointing. I also hope that for launch they keep the Mini EV as a two door coupe.

 

[Tandy]

Now that the Countryman is the best seller in their lineup, I don't know what that will mean in terms of trims offered for the Mini EV. I personally would like to see them return to smaller, compact options but that's going to be determined by market demand.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Mini would be great once better focused as a millennial brand for city cars but so far we're not at a point that the market demands them in large numbers.
Smart and Scion iQ type products from Mini will thrive.

 

[Morris]

Smart car sales have dropped significantly over the past couple years, and that's probably why we've seen MB give it a facelift and even offer it in a 4 door configuration. I don't really think these small little commuters will ever get the interest that they see in Europe.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Smart car sales have dropped significantly over the past couple years, and that's probably why we've seen MB give it a facelift and even offer it in a 4 door configuration. I don't really think these small little commuters will ever get the interest that they see in Europe.

I think they will take off in the car sharing economy when people are looking for the cheapest personal transportation to get around.
MB's Car2Go program is a great example of that.

 

[Coops]

Car2Go ended up having to shut down in Toronto, as they ended up running into issues in having places to actually park their cars. Real estate can be quite scare in metropolitan areas, but that could easily be addressed if there were less cars owned and on the road.

 

[Tandy]

The goal of having car sharing systems is that they never stay parked anywhere for extended periods of time. Think about all the wasted space that is being preoccupied from cars that sit for upwards of 8 hours a day.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

The goal of having car sharing systems is that they never stay parked anywhere for extended periods of time. Think about all the wasted space that is being preoccupied from cars that sit for upwards of 8 hours a day.

Increasing costs of living along with growing density in cities should help push the demand for it even more. Those factors have been in the news a lot lately.