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Stumble itWho doesn’t like a Mini? As a big fan of the entire Mini lineup I recently came across the 201 hp Mini E 100% Electric Car in field testing. This 2 seater (have to make room for the batteries) is a zero-emissions car that makes sense. Smaller in the interior than a standard Mini it allows 2 people to cruise on electric power without performance issues. It’s not a Tesla but please read on.
What’s the Big Deal?
- 201 hp under the hood, it has the rapid acceleration yet quiet. Electric Motors can reach peak torque levels almost immediately! Watch that speedometer as it’s top speed is 95mph and will achieve 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds!
- 100 – 120 miles per charge (60 miles is what an average person drives in a given day)
- Recharge in 3 hours at home (all field testers had a 240 volt, 48 amp Mini E charging station installed in the garage so not sure about cost on that one or cost for electricity). If you tried on 110 volt a shocking 26.5 hours (yikes)
- Regenerative braking which slows the vehicle but captures a portion of the kinetic energy
- 1 year lease is available for $850/mo through Mini Financial Services and includes all the maintenance, roadside assistance and collision coverage.
Lithium Ion Batteries Make it Happen
Inside the hood is a suitcase (not really) you will see in the photo. Under the rear seats that don’t exist the batteries are located.The Mini E Driving Experience With 50/50 weight balance ratio, wheels all the way on each corner and tuned suspension you have one amazing electric car! Another cool feature is regenerative braking which slows the vehicle but captures a portion of the kinetic energy (trying to convert braking energy into electricity is the cliff notes version)
Want to Lease It?
A 1 year lease is available for $850/mo through Mini Financial Services and includes all the maintenance, roadside assistance and collision coverage. Seems like a nice deal and remember no cost for gas and you might just get a tax break!
What you will look at behind the wheel
Not much just the basics
Overall, I am really excited by the new electric Mini E and hope that we will continue to see innovations in electric and hybrid based cars. If you like this post please subscribe to my RSS Feed or receive by Email.
6 Comments
While I agree that this new electric technology is great. The question that I do not see anyone asking is does it really provide any great reduction in oil use and carbon emissions. In my latest TECO bill they published the following – “Fuel sources we use to serve you…Oil & Gas 40% , Coal 50%, Purchased Power %10 ” I have no idea what purchased power is made up of, is it coal , oil, or something? My point is if you have to charge an electric car for a few hours and the electricity was generated through coal (typically less clean than refined oil) and oil and gas then is there really any savings in oil consumption and/or carbon emissions? These electric cars overall might be actually causing worse pollution issues and doing little to reduce oil consumption.
Thats’s an interesting comment and you might be right. So much emphasis on the gas savings of an electric car without thinking about what goes into generating the electricity in the first place. Forgot about coal!
I’m looking forward to electric cars such as this Mini or Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt. Hopefully, we see more such electric vehicles popping up to the market. I also wonder whether we will soon have electric trucks on the roads. I work in the car shipping industry and would love to see companies use electric-powered car shipping trucks. Best, tobias
Would be great to see more electric cars but like the hybrid idea better as it can charge itself on the road. You drive a leaf to far and without a charge and ….
LEASE?! NO! Just as slimy as GM was with the EV 1. SELL the electric Mini’s.
I would prefer to buy vs. lease as well.