BMW MINI E: BMWs pure electric car
The Los Angeles Auto Show was witness to the arrival of BMW’s new MINI E. The new electric vehicle from the famed auto maker is a pure electric car, not a hybrid, and runs on lithium-ion batteries.
Photo: 2009 BMW Mini E top view
Environment-conscious auto enthusiasts might find the BMW Mini E exciting as it is equipped with a 150 kilowatt electric motor that enables acceleration from 0 to 62 in 8.5 seconds with a speed maximum of 95 mph. Reviews said that a normal driving range of 150 miles is expected from the BMW MINI E.
BMW claims that the Mini E can get a full recharge in less than three hours using the supplied charge box that connects to your 220-volt home power supply. The charge time is significantly longer on a standard 115-volt outlet.
As part of its Los Angeles show, BMW has also rolled out an offer where in 500 enthusiasts living near Los Angeles or New York can have the opportunity of driving the BMW Mini E electric car on a daily basis. And if the car is taken out on lease, one will have to part with $850 each month.
BMW is expected to unveil as many as 500 MINI Es in the US by next year. This would be done as a measure to test the feasibility of the car. The company plans to lease out the cars to corporate and private customers. Post-lease period, the cars will come back to BMW for comparative tests, said a report.
The BMW Mini E car which will be available only in silver hues, is tipped to be the first lithium-ion powered electric car to hit the streets in any quantity. Industry experts say that the BMW MINI E would herald the arrival of more similar electric innovations on to the road. The company is also planning to come up with exclusive service centre wherever the car is launched.
BMW electric Mini Cooper cars for California, BMW electric Mini leased to customers | DWS Motor said on Monday, November 24, 2008, 10:51
[...] The Mini Cooper cars, which are currently being manufactured at the company’s plant at Oxford in the UK, will be transported to Munich in Germany where they would be fitted with electric power-trains. This is being done because the cars would not be equipped with engines, gearboxes or fuel tanks when they are manufactured at Oxford. Update: BMW Mini E at Los Angeles Auto Show [...]