Oct 20, 2008

Mini E


BMW is the first premium manufacturer to offers an electric vehicle for personal use - the Mini E. The Mini E will be offered in 500 units, powered by a 150 kW/204 hp electric motor that gets its energy from a lithium-ion battery. The Mini E is front-wheel-drive and is based on the Mini Cooper. With this powertrain the Mini E has a range of 240 km or 150 miles.


The Mini E is a pilot project that will involve private and corporate customers located in California, New York and New Jersey. The Mini E will have its premiere at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show starting November 19. At the beginning, the Mini E will be offered as a two-seater, but the series version will probably have four seats.

The battery of the Mini E has a 35 kilowatt hours (kWh) capacity and transfers its energy to the engine at 380 Volts. It weighs 1,465 kilogram (3,230 lbs) and develops 220 Nm of torque. Takes 8.5 seconds for 0 to 62 mph and has a limited top speed of 152 km/h or 95 mph.


The Mini E will be produced in Oxford and Munich and the production will be limited at first at 500 units. The Mini E price has not been announced yet.

0 comments:

Post a Comment