Tariq Nelson

The Big Three are still years away from electric cars while foreign companies are on the move…

The Mini-Cooper Electric

The Mini E, by BMW

BMW, the parent company of MINI, introduced the MINI E electric vehicle at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show this week. The MINI E is a pure electric, not a hybrid, and runs on lithium-ion batteries. Best of all, MINI is inviting 500 folks to have the opportunity to drive one on a daily basis. The bad news is you have to live in either the metropolitan LA or New York areas and you have to cough up $850 big ones each month for the lease, but the price does include insurance and all maintenance.

It is a one-year lease and for all of you “Who Killed the Electric Car” conspiracy fans out there, they make you acknowledge up front that you will give the car back at the end of the lease. These are basically a fleet of test cars that will allow BMW to gather real-world data with real commuters.

The specifications for the MINI E look great, a 150 kilowatt electric motor allows acceleration from 0 to 62 in 8.5 seconds with a speed maximum of 95 mph. A normal driving range of 150 miles is expected. Another amazing spec–BMW expects to get a full recharge in less than 3 hours using the supplied charge box that connects to your 220-volt home power supply

The charge time significantly longer on a standard 115-volt outlet though.

There are no options, but the car is relatively well equipped. (No heated seats though!) You can have it in any color you want, as long as it’s silver.

BMW expects to have more takers than cars; they have set up a special website where you can put your name on the list. They are only taking reservations until December 10, 2008 so hurry!

It looks like the MINI E will be the first lithium-ion powered electric to hit the streets in any quantity. This is just the start of more electric happenings to come.

Filed under: Changing World, Practical Solutions