THE MINI E-volution



When BMW announced in November of its intention to release an all-electric Mini in 2009, the company reinforced its commitment towards reducing energy consumption and emissions. Since its inception in the late 50’s the Mini has long been a symbol of energy efficiency, having been born from fuel shortages as a result the 1956 Suez Crisis.

Fast forward years later and BMW is carrying on the Mini heritage with innovation in an all-electric Mini, dubbed the Mini E. BMW initially plans on deploying some 500 Mini E’s for private use in daily traffic. In doing so it will be the first major manufacturer to release an all-electric vehicle on a large scale. This is in part a broader strategy for BMW, which the group calls Number ONE. The Number One strategy aims to improve BMW’s profitability by cutting non-efficient operating standards and streamlining research & development through focus investments in emission reduction technologies.

BMW says that the new owners of the Mini E will initially be composed of a select group of private and corporate customers as part of a pilot project in the US states of California, New York and New Jersey. The company reports that it “intends to study these consumers in hopes of gaining valuable knowledge from their hands-on-experience, which will be factored into the engineering of mass production vehicles.”

Behind the hood of the Mini E are some impressive technologies that should maintain the same driving pleasure Mini drivers have come to love, but with zero C02 emissions into the environment. The Mini sports an electric drive train that produces 204 horsepower pushing the car from 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds, however; the top speed is limited to 95 mph. powering the vehicle is a high performance lithium-iron battery, which BMW reports to have a range of 156 miles before recharging. The battery can be charged to full in a mere two-and-a-half hours.

The exterior and interior design is unmistakable Mini, yet undoubtedly new. All the pilot cars come with the same paintwork but bare a distinct limited production series serial number next to the side turn signal lights. The exterior paint sports an exclusive combination of Dark Silver on all panels except for the roof, which is clad in Pure Silver. What distinguishes the Mini entirely is the use of a stylized yellow power plug logo in the shape of an “E” set against the silver backdrop. The logo is used in other subtle areas, including the dashboard trim and the doorjamb. The color of the roof edges, mirror housings, interior style cues and seat seams will match the logo’s yellow tone as well.

Inside its interior the Mini E is traditional two-seater zero-emissions sports flair, the back cargo space having been sacrificed to house the batteries. The central gauge and battery level indicator behind the steering wheel replaces the traditional Mini rev counter. The yellow used for the Mini E logo is carried into the interior featuring yellow lettering against a dark grey background.

BMW says “Putting the MINI E on the road on a daily basis will be a pioneering feat to which both the drivers and engineers of the first zero-emissions MINI will contribute as a team.” Look forward to updates from Beyond Petro as the Mini E’s hit the asphalt.

Richard Kisembo/ Editor-at-Large

Mini E images Courtesy of BMW AG © 2008. All rights reserved.