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BMW have invested heavily into lowering CO2 emissions in the last few years but they hope that the Mini E will eliminate them altogether if it becomes a viable consumer option.
The one-year US pilot scheme will cost each of the 450 guinea pigs 850 dollars per month to lease these eco-friendly vehicles as we enter the era of the electric car. This may not prove value for money for the trialists but they are all pioneers for the electric car movement so kudos, and possibly a slice of history in their pre-conceived egos are reasons for participation.
The Mini E is identical to its incarnation minus the mod cons and the back seat! It's a two-seater as the battery takes up the back seat space. There is no sat nav or Bluetooth gadgets as that would obviously be a drain on the battery, although is a radio and iPod connectability, plus air-con.
With a top speed of just 95 mph people may not be thrilled, but they will when they hear that the Mini E does 0-60 mph in just 8.5 seconds - not bad for an electrically powered vehicle!
This prototype vehicle also has a regenerative braking system which automatically brakes for you when you remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
At this stage BMW are not planning on mass production of the Mini E but they do plan to develop and produce an electrically-powered vehicle by 2012, although if this pilot scheme proves a success I can't see why BMW would overlook this vehicle as a viable option to take to the market place.
The Mini E will charge in less than three hours from empty and it is estimated to drive 100-130 miles on a full charge, which is very impressive although the vehicle remains slightly impractical if you manage to run the battery flat. Although the battery can be charged using conventional electric sockets, that will take the best part of a day to fully charge, so the 450 testers should be warned!
It will be interesting to find out how successful this pilot scheme proves to be in the coming months but what it suggests already is that we are not a million miles away from seeing motorway legal electric cars entering our society, and with increasing CO2 emissions continuing to have a damaging effect on the ozone layer in terms of global warming, that can only be a positive movement.
It really is good to see car manufacturers actively seeking to produce low emission vehicles, and in the case of the Mini E and a whole host of hybrid vehicles, no emission vehicles!
Shaun Parker is an engineer with many years of experience in the car industry. Find out more about Mini http://www.coopermini.co.uk
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