Register Hardware reports: [edited]
BMW has announced the arrival of the electric Mini, the Mini E. Powered by a 150kW (204hp) electric motor fed by a 260kg lithium-ion battery pack, the car goes from 0 to 62mph in 8.5s and sports a top speed limited to 95mph.
BMW claimed the range you'll get out of a full charge will be 150 miles.
The hefty battery pack sits in the space taken up by the rear seats in the normal model. BMW will also be supplying wall boxes to customers with a suitable garage that will enable a higher amperage charge that should see the battery go from flat to fully charged in two and a half hours. The battery itself has a maximum capacity of 35kWh and a full charge is said to draw 28kWh from the grid.
The cars will be leased rather than sold, and after 12 months BMW will take them back to kick the tyres and see what lessons can be learned from a year's day-to-day use in the real world - presumably with a view to a full scale production run in 2010 or 2011, as BWM is referring to the E as the “blueprint for the zero-emissions two-seater”.
The Mini E will be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show on 19 November.
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