Jim McDowell, head of Mini's U.S. operations, said the company has
already received more than 10,000 inquiries for the car on its Web
site.
"What we're doing right now is really just trying to get some experience
with it," he said. "What it means is the BMW Group is anticipating the
needs of our world, as opposed to responding."
The two-seater Mini E runs on a lithium-ion battery, the same that will
help power General Motors Corp.'s much-touted Chevrolet Volt. The battery
gets about 150 miles per charge, the company said, and on a 240-volt outlet
takes about four and a half hours to charge.