ja ja das Übel kennen wir alle, früher oder später sind alle fällig... 
feiff:
A German Pop Icon Rocks the MINI E
We know, the MINI E Pioneers project is not about celebrity endorsements. But would it be fair to deny Herbert Grönemeyer, just because he's one of Germany's favorite singers...and a movie star, and a passionate activist who's been on the cover of TIME? After a test drive in Berlin this August he was hooked. Now he'll be joining the proud ranks of the Pioneers behind the wheel of his own MINI E for phase two of the pilot project, "MINI E powered by Vattenfall," which begins early next year.
Q: Mr Grönemeyer, you drove the MINI E on the weekend. Could you please give us a short field report on E-driving?
A: Well, initially I was surprised at the acceleration. When you think about an electric vehicle, you're more likely to think of it as efficient and slow. But I had more of the impression that the front wheels were sometimes on the verge of spinning. And that, of course, is a lot of fun, because there's something MINI about it.
What is unusual is that you don't hear any engine noise. You sit there in complete silence, as if you're sitting in a small cell. Which is nice, because you can listen to music without disruption. You have to get used to the fact that it doesn't change gear. Generally, the feeling of driving the MINI E is very nice. But you have to get used to how it brakes independently.* I mean, when you take your foot off the accelerator, it slows down of its own accord. But there's something special about that, too.
Certainly, you have to adjust the way you drive. But the silence, and the power, are a lot of fun. I never would have thought it would be so much fun to drive.
Q: And you have indicated serious interest in buying a MINI E, too...
A: Well, we don't want to go overboard. It's a bit expensive. But I would think about it, especially for a city like Berlin.
It's a car with range for the city. If you only take short trips, you can drive the MINI E for about three or four days. It would get a bit difficult if you wanted to travel overland.
Q: Does that mean that you live in Berlin?
A: In London, really. I think electric cars are ideal for both cities - no question. As such, I actually can imagine driving, and purchasing, an electric car.
Q: And what does Mr Grönemeyer do on a daily basis to improve the world?
A: Oh, I'll have to think about that, so that I don't tell you any rubbish. Well, I treat my fellow humans with respect. And then I have my foundations ** - against poverty, etc, but that always starts to make me sound a bit like a do-gooder. I just make an effort in everyday life.
Q: Do you separate your rubbish, for example?
A: I separate rubbish when I'm in Germany. They don't do it in England. In England, everything's a bit more rock ‘n' roll. So, I would say that I separate my rubbish in Germany, but with an English attitude. That's more my style. I don't like to be pedantic about it. And I haven't made a lot of effort to make friends with the new light globes.
Q: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? One would think so after hearing your song, "Currywurst".
A: Well I don't eat Currywurst. But I eat a lot of fish. And I try to be a happy and considerate world citizen.
Q: How do you imagine future mobility will be? Will there still be cars, or will we all take the train in the future?
A: No, I don't think so. People won't allow this form of individual transport to be taken from them. But what drives the car will change completely.
And I also think that the car will become less of a status symbol. Mobility will stay and everyone will drive cars, but I think people defining themselves by a car will occur less and less. And you can see that the shapes of cars are losing expression. The companies aren't game anymore. I think that people enjoy interesting designs. But people won't define themselves by the size of their car anymore.
Showing off is out. But the fun of driving a car - you can't take that away from people. The pleasure of driving a car has to stay. And that's what the MINI is. This engine really is impressively fun.
Q: Many thanks for talking with us, Mr Grönemeyer. I had a lot of fun.
A: Me too. All the best.
*The generators at the four wheels with which the MINI E recharges the battery have a braking effect when force is reversed. The friction of the generators on the wheels means that the MINI E can to some extent be driven by the accelerator alone.
**"Deine Stimme gegen Armut" is the German part of the global initiative "Make Poverty History", with the purpose of using political campaigns to remind the heads of government of G8 nations that they agreed to halve world poverty by 2015.
feiff:A German Pop Icon Rocks the MINI E
We know, the MINI E Pioneers project is not about celebrity endorsements. But would it be fair to deny Herbert Grönemeyer, just because he's one of Germany's favorite singers...and a movie star, and a passionate activist who's been on the cover of TIME? After a test drive in Berlin this August he was hooked. Now he'll be joining the proud ranks of the Pioneers behind the wheel of his own MINI E for phase two of the pilot project, "MINI E powered by Vattenfall," which begins early next year.
Q: Mr Grönemeyer, you drove the MINI E on the weekend. Could you please give us a short field report on E-driving?
A: Well, initially I was surprised at the acceleration. When you think about an electric vehicle, you're more likely to think of it as efficient and slow. But I had more of the impression that the front wheels were sometimes on the verge of spinning. And that, of course, is a lot of fun, because there's something MINI about it.
What is unusual is that you don't hear any engine noise. You sit there in complete silence, as if you're sitting in a small cell. Which is nice, because you can listen to music without disruption. You have to get used to the fact that it doesn't change gear. Generally, the feeling of driving the MINI E is very nice. But you have to get used to how it brakes independently.* I mean, when you take your foot off the accelerator, it slows down of its own accord. But there's something special about that, too.
Certainly, you have to adjust the way you drive. But the silence, and the power, are a lot of fun. I never would have thought it would be so much fun to drive.
Q: And you have indicated serious interest in buying a MINI E, too...
A: Well, we don't want to go overboard. It's a bit expensive. But I would think about it, especially for a city like Berlin.
It's a car with range for the city. If you only take short trips, you can drive the MINI E for about three or four days. It would get a bit difficult if you wanted to travel overland.
Q: Does that mean that you live in Berlin?
A: In London, really. I think electric cars are ideal for both cities - no question. As such, I actually can imagine driving, and purchasing, an electric car.
Q: And what does Mr Grönemeyer do on a daily basis to improve the world?
A: Oh, I'll have to think about that, so that I don't tell you any rubbish. Well, I treat my fellow humans with respect. And then I have my foundations ** - against poverty, etc, but that always starts to make me sound a bit like a do-gooder. I just make an effort in everyday life.
Q: Do you separate your rubbish, for example?
A: I separate rubbish when I'm in Germany. They don't do it in England. In England, everything's a bit more rock ‘n' roll. So, I would say that I separate my rubbish in Germany, but with an English attitude. That's more my style. I don't like to be pedantic about it. And I haven't made a lot of effort to make friends with the new light globes.
Q: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? One would think so after hearing your song, "Currywurst".
A: Well I don't eat Currywurst. But I eat a lot of fish. And I try to be a happy and considerate world citizen.
Q: How do you imagine future mobility will be? Will there still be cars, or will we all take the train in the future?
A: No, I don't think so. People won't allow this form of individual transport to be taken from them. But what drives the car will change completely.
And I also think that the car will become less of a status symbol. Mobility will stay and everyone will drive cars, but I think people defining themselves by a car will occur less and less. And you can see that the shapes of cars are losing expression. The companies aren't game anymore. I think that people enjoy interesting designs. But people won't define themselves by the size of their car anymore.
Showing off is out. But the fun of driving a car - you can't take that away from people. The pleasure of driving a car has to stay. And that's what the MINI is. This engine really is impressively fun.
Q: Many thanks for talking with us, Mr Grönemeyer. I had a lot of fun.
A: Me too. All the best.
*The generators at the four wheels with which the MINI E recharges the battery have a braking effect when force is reversed. The friction of the generators on the wheels means that the MINI E can to some extent be driven by the accelerator alone.
**"Deine Stimme gegen Armut" is the German part of the global initiative "Make Poverty History", with the purpose of using political campaigns to remind the heads of government of G8 nations that they agreed to halve world poverty by 2015.
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