Plug-in Mini Cooper ready to charge
Starting next year drivers in the Los Angeles and New York areas will be able to lease a fleet of 500 all-electric Coopers from BMW's Mini division.
The Mini E, as it's called, will be able to travel 150 miles on a single charge with a top speed of 95 miles per hour.
For this test fleet of vehicles, BMW will reimburse customers for the cost of charging. But at a monthly cost of $850, driving the Mini E will not be cheap.
Besides the car and electricity, however, the monthly payment will cover all required technical service and maintenance. The cars will be leased on yearly contracts with an option for additional time. At the end of the lease, the cars will be returned to BMW.
The Mini E will be a two-seater. The space usually taken up by back seats in a gas-powered Mini will be taken up by lithium-ion batteries.
BMW boasts that the car has nearly even front-to-back weight distribution. Minor changes have been made to the regular Mini Cooper's suspension to ensure safe handling despite the car's unique load balance.
The car has gone through numerous crash tests, BMW says. Besides focusing on occupant protection, BMW engineers also had to find a safe location for the battery in which it would survive various sorts of crashes.
Where the regular Mini Cooper has a large tachometer (the gauge that shows engine rpm) the Mini E has a battery-level gauge behind the steering wheel instead. Battery charge is shown as a percentage.
An LED display within the gauge can show moment-by-moment energy usage in red and during braking or coasting, energy recuperation in green. It can also show remaining miles of range.
BMW boasts of the car's "fascinating launch capability." That's possible because electric motors produce maximum torque, or cranking power, right from the start without having to speed up first.
While the initial start may be quick, the Mini E will accelerate up to 62 miles (100 kilometers) per hour in 8.5 seconds, which is about average for a modern car.
The car's brake pedal is directly coupled to the accelerator pedal. As soon as the driver releases the accelerator, the electric motor immediately reverses and begins acting as a generator. This slows the car, like downshifting in a gas-powered car, while recapturing the car's momentum as energy for the batteries.
In city driving about 75 percent of all deceleration can be done without touching the brake pedal, according to BMW.
Only customers with lockable garages or some other secure space in which to charge the car will be eligible to lease the Mini E.
The car can be plugged into any standard wall outlet. But drivers will be able to charge the car in just 2.5 hours using a special wallbox that will be installed in customers' garages.
The car will be officially unveiled to the public at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. BMW will accept lease applications after that. Leases will begin early next year.
BMW said it will select specific customers based on a variety of demographic and location requirements.
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