My particular cap needs to be oriented on the filler neck in a certain position for it to work correctly. It has a little tool to help align it.

Fixed caps are the wave of the future. Ford now equips their cars with a non-removable filler cap.

 

Unfortunately, I think you're right. Many an automotive product comes along with marginal benefit, coupled with increased complexity and fragility, but catches on like wildfire: it adds to the ever evolving options list in the brochures, and customers are convinced they have to have it.

No offense, I just think it's a solution to a non-problem, likely to increase error-codes, and put more gas vapours in the atmosphere. It likely utilizes a spring-tensioned lid and gasket, which is not going to be as effective in sealing as the tension imposed by cap threads.

 

This is the gas cap of the future. We fill our MINI E up with electricity ever night and never go to the gas station.

 

Is this one of the Pilot Lease Mini-Es? How did you get selected?

 

We had to sign up in November. 7 months later, we took delivery of the car. It's such a great car. It's fast, fun, and uses no gas! The HCH is now the gas guzzler! Unfortunately, they only leased 450 or so of them in LA and NY/NJ metro areas. We also have to give it back in June, which will be really sad.

We have a bit of discussion going on here: https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f77/mini-e-20854/ If anyone's curious, ask questions there, so we don't hijack this thread.

Also check out http://minie.com/ for more info on the MINI E