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WHY MISTY LOVES HER MINI ELECTRIC.
Misty is a London-based chiropractor and uses her MINI Electric to get around the city without having to worry about the congestion charge or Ultra Low Emissions Zone. As a part-time beekeeper, she's passionate about protecting the planet – so her all-electric car is making a good start. Misty kindly shared some thoughts with us about her MINI Electric driving experience – and tells us why she loves it so much.
“I love how my MINI Electric looks.”
“I’ve always loved how the MINI looks. I toyed with getting one for ages, but I also wanted to go electric, so the MINI Electric was the perfect fit. I love its British links. The Union Jack rear lights are super cool, and I adore the sporty style.
With mine, I wanted everything blacked out: wing mirrors, wheels, bodywork, everything! I particularly love my MINI Electric’s Enigmatic Black paint. It has a lovely iridescence to it, so in certain lights it looks pure black, and sometimes navy.
I think other brands have too much choice and options, but the MINI Electric offered just the right amount of customisation to make it feel unique to me. I don’t think I’ve seen another MINI Electric that looks exactly like mine.”
“The MINI Electric makes charging easy.”
“I have to say, I was a bit worried about ‘range anxiety’. I didn’t ever want to be on a long journey without enough charge. But, with the MINI Electric, I’ve had absolutely no problems. It’s exactly what I need. To be honest, there will be times where I forget to charge overnight, but I’ve still got enough left to get to work or pop to the shops. When it comes to charging, the UK’s network is getting bigger every day, and the MINI Electric smartphone app shows me where all the chargers are, which makes finding them easy.
As with any electric car, you need to plan your longer journeys a bit more carefully, but the MINI Electric smartphone app helps a lot. As time goes on, you also start to find chargers that work best for you. For example, tucked away rapid chargers that other people don’t know about, or pay-as-you-go ones that let you get a quick charge for next to nothing. My top tip: if you’ve got a spare 10 minutes, just find a charger and get a quick top-up. It only takes a few minutes and you’re safe in the knowledge you have enough charge to keep going. When it comes to the cost of charging: wow!
I used to spend £60 a month on petrol. Now, I reckon it costs me about £8 a week to charge my MINI Electric, and I don’t have to pay road tax either. The savings are immense. When charging at home, you can use the MINI Electric app to set certain times for charging. For example, I charge my MINI Electric between 2am and 6am because that’s when the cost is lowest. That means I know I’m always good-to-go in the mornings, and I’m saving money.”
“It’s got a gadget for everything.”
“With my MINI Electric, I went for the Level 3 trim, because I wanted the Harman Kardon sound system and the heated leather seats. The Harman Kardon speakers are really good. My partner is a sound technician, and he says they sound fantastic!
I wanted the leather upholstery because I need the seats to be durable. It’s a nice leather finish that feels high-end. I’ve had my MINI Electric for over a year, and it still looks brand new. All the surfaces are durable and super easy to clean. Plus, the heated seats are great. I often use the MINI Connect App to pre-warm my car in the mornings, so that when I get in it’s nice and toasty. Warming the car via the app also preconditions the battery, which helps give you better range.
One of my favourite features is how easily I can connect my phone. Apple CarPlay is amazing. It’s like having a big iPhone in the car. I often make calls when I’m driving, so the Bluetooth is great, and the ability to mirror the Waze app onto the touchscreen is super convenient. I also like the wireless charging pad, which is useful for keeping my phone topped up. Another standout feature is the big light-up dial on the dashboard. I love how you can change the colours. That big round dial almost makes you feel as though you’re sitting in a classic MINI, but with all the modern style of today’s cars. When it comes to safety, the Head-Up display is great. It’s nice not having to look down at the dashboard as much: you can keep your eyes on the road. When you drive past speed signs, the speed limit appears on the Head-Up display, which is useful. I also like how I can set everything – the wing mirrors, the Head-Up display – to my height. So, when someone else has been driving, I can click on my name in the menu, and everything adjusts to my preferences. That’s a really good feature.
The Park Assist is also great. When you need to parallel park in an awkward space, it just does it for you. When I first got my MINI Electric, I just went around parking in places I didn’t need to, just to use the feature! The front-collision warning beep is useful around town, too. If the car thinks you’re going to hit something it beeps and comes up on the dashboard.”
“The MINI Electric feels really spacious.”
“Even though the MINI Electric is a four-seater, it doesn’t feel small inside – it feels really spacious. I’ve had all sorts of things in the back: power tools, suitcases, surfboards and golf clubs. They all fit fine. In fact, when I drive to the range, my clubs actually fit without me having to drop the seats, which really surprised me.
When we put suitcases in the back, it’s easy to pop the rear seats down. I also really like the little area under the boot floor for all the cables. It helps to keep things nice and neat. The ability to move the boot floor up and down is good, too. The MINI Electric is a really versatile car in this respect."