Mini-e Video
In Brief
The BMW Mini-e is undergoing field trials in New York and Los Angeles. Applications were taken for a 1 year lease on the vehicle after which BMW will take the cars back for evaluation. 500 vehicles were leased. Trials are also scheduled for Berlin.
The Mini-e comes in a standard Mini Cooper S body. It has Regenerative braking which means that when the foot is lifted off the accelerator the car slows up as energy is transferred back into the batteries. It is a two seater with the back seat area taken up by the 53 cell lithium-ion battery pack. The pack is air cooled. Cargo space is limited.
The Mini-e comes with a charging station to accelerate the charge cycle - a standard household outlet would take 26 hours to charge it up but this can be reduced to 3 hours with a 240 V/48 A (11.5 kW) charge station. Mini-E-spec-sheet
The mini has been around since 1959 and was an innovative fun car that enjoyed enormous success - it's electric offspring will no doubt carry on the tradition. Click here for press cover on the Mini-e.