Mini E (Electric) Electrifies Rodeo Drive - VIDEO ENHANCED
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By Henny Hemmes
Senior Editor
Amsterdam Bureau
The Auto Channel
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - In November 2008, the Mini E made its world debut at the LA Auto Show. But a day earlier, people who were strolling on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, got the real premiere of the electric Mini.
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This year, 500 units of the Mini E will be built. They are practically identical to the Mini Cooper, but will all be painted grey, have a silver roof and MINI written on the sides in electric-yellow letters. The cars will also have quite some stickers that resemble a reversed ‘E’, the symbol for a plug. Of course, that is also placed on the filler cap that covers the charger socket. A small plaque on the side mentions the limited edition’s vehicle number. But to be honest, I did not see 007….
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Together with a cooler, the li-on battery adds some 400 lbs. to the weight of the Mini.
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So beware, this electric Mini is faster than a Cooper! It sprints in just 8.5 seconds to 60 mph. It could be even faster, as practically all torque is immediately available and since the electric motor forwards its power through a single speed transmission. But to make sure the drive shafts do not break, the output is electronically limited. Also the top speed of the Mini E is limited to a mere 95 mph.
Driving the Mini E, you feel that the front wheels are fighting for grip and that the traction control has to work really hard. Also, a fair amount of torque steer is noticeable, but that is something you’ll get used to pretty fast.
Silence
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When you brake, there is no sound, as the Mini uses brake regeneration to re-use the energy for recharging the battery pack.
As from March the 500 Mini’s E will hit the roads in the Los Angeles area (250) and in New York and New Jersey (200). BMW will also have 50 cars available for Berlin. All cars will be leased at 850 dollars a month including the loan of a wall box that BMW will install in the customer’s garage. This enables higher amperage and thus a shorter charging time than plugging the Mini E into a standard power outlet. Wall boxed fully recharge batteries in two-and-a-half to three hours.
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Click PLAY to watch the complete BMW and MINI Press Conference at the 2008 LA AUTO SHOW
© HHR December 2008