Mini E pure electric car revealed
Mini reveals the limited production Mini E.
(Credit: Mini/BMW)Mini just revealed the Mini E on Friday, scheduled to be revealed at the 2008 LA Auto Show. The E stands for electric, as the major difference between this and the standard Mini is the all-electric drivetrain. The Mini E will be produced in a limited quantity of 500-1000 units and leased to customers in a few major cities.
The Mini E's 204 horsepower electric motor also puts out 162 pound-feet of torque with juice being supplied by advanced lithium ion battery tech. Charge time is expected to be about 8 hours with a range of about 150 miles on a charge. Of course the Mini-E also has standard fare package of energy recapturing technologies, such as regenerative braking.
In place of a gas filler neck, the Mini E has an electric plug.
(Credit: Mini/BMW)We'll be bringing more info when the Mini E is officially presented at the 2008 LA Auto Show. In the meanwhile, Autocar UK has more photos and info.
The whole point of selling cars is to make money. If a company releases 1000 Gas powered cars ans 1000 Electric cars simultaneously, the gas ones would sell out first. There is a higher demand for gas cars, mostly because they're cheaper. Where there's demand, theres money, and where theres money, there's supply. Not everyone can afford expensive cars, especially in urban centers.
Will the world be be better off if all the cars were electric? Probably, but the world runs on oil, at least for now.
If you want great fuel economy and less pollution right now, the best option is to switch to diesel power. Its cleaner and has better MPG than gas (though the price is just crazy). It may be slightly more expensive but the benefits far out weighs the price.
-
by make_or_break
October 20, 2008 7:32 PM PDT
- 150 miles is quite a bit better than most of the other all-electrics, particularly those intended for full road use (as opposed to the max. 25-35 mph city car subtype). Leave it to BMW to up the ante. That said, leased cars in a few locations DOES feel a hell of a lot like GM's crushed EV program.
-
Reply to this comment
-
(7 Comments)What BMW? You haven't paid for all that Mini gasoline tooling yet?