Charging an empty battery will take about 2.5 hours at the average home or other designated recharge facility, depending on area voltage. Thereafter a range of 240km (150 miles) can be anticipated under a combined driving route. Highly-qualified personnel will be looking after the cars while they are in the care of their new leasing �owners� and at the end of the testing period the cars return to BMW for deep analysis. You�ll be able to see the MINI E next month at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2008.
The MINI E is a very special vehicle in that it uses electric power 100 percent of the time, meaning it is not a hybrid like a Toyota Prius or the upcoming Chevrolet Volt with their combinations of electric and internal-combustion engine power sources. To accommodate its 5,088 individual high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion cells that make up the air-cooled battery, MINI stripped the back seats, just like you would when �tuning� a car for racing-like readiness. Yet the car keeps its 50:50 weight distribution. The 260kg battery powers the electric motor which is conventionally found upfront.
MINI may have pulled the coup of the year in the eyes of �green� lobbyists by announcing its all-electric MINI E is soon off to 500 customers in California, New York and New Jersey as part of a testing programme. There have been loud questions as to MINI�s electric strategy and these have now been answered officially. Following our most recent spy shots of the car in testing, our expectations were of a later reveal yes, but not this soon.
The motor pulls out a seriously impressive 150kW (200hp) of power and 220Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque which, as one expects from such a motor, is available from idle. Incidentally the car can rev up to a maximum of 12,500rpm! MINI says it will dash from 0 � 100km/h (62mph) in 8.5 seconds with an electronically-limited top speed of 152km/h (95mph). Not bad considering the battery�s weight, but also the car�s total curb weight of 1465kg (3230 lbs). It goes without saying that the MINI E produces zero emissions.
Source:World Car Fans
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