[Adam999]

Hi there i am new here.

How are you guys fuelling your Minis with all the surges seen in the gas prices?

 

[MichaelC]

Hi, Adam999!

I'm a little confused by your question. This forum is dedicated to the all-electric MINI Cooper SE, so I plug mine in to recharge it and don't pay attention to gas prices.

I also had solar panels installed on my home, so I usually recharge when the sun is shining. That means most of my recharging is free!

Cheers,
MichaelC

 

[Mrflyguy]

I had solar panels installed on my home, so I usually recharge when the sun is shining. That means most of my recharging is free! Cheers, MichaelC

Well, not really free, It costs $$$ to install solar but we get the point.

I have a 5.2 kW array here in AZ and it satisfies almost all of our annual energy usage. The addition of the MINI charging will probably make me use more kW from the power company but it shouldn't be too bad. With a grid-tied PV system is it doesn't matter when you charge, day or night, since you're accruing credit for excess solar production (or not, using grid power ). Time of Usage plans where rates are typically lower off-hours really don't really work for daytime EV charging unless the power company has a special EV rate plan designed for off hours charging.
Choosing the right plan for an EV becomes complicated because not all power companies treat PV solar systems and EV charging the same.

 

[MichaelC]

Yes, there are many considerations and factors that will vary for each person. How the solar system's installation is paid for is a pretty big detail I glossed over.

I'm not on a Time Of Use plan, so that doesn't factor into my charging strategy. With my 6.66 kW system, I can charge my SE and still export power on sunny days--but I achieve this by setting the SE's charge timer to only be active during peak production and configuring my EVSE to max out at 24A.

 

[Mrflyguy]

I have considered expanding my existing system but cant due to the 20 year grid tied agreement but could install a second system for an EV. Not a major issue with the 34 kW Mini battery but it might be for an EV with serious range.