Electric MINI hitting US streets in summer 2009

Not that electric MINIs are anything new, but unless you were willing to pay for all the mods yourself, procuring one wasn't exactly simple. Now, however, we're hearing that MINI itself will be bringing scads of these buggers to American streets in the summer of 2009. Yeah, like, one year from right now. MINI USA VP Jim McDowell was the source of said statement (so it's pretty much official, yeah?), though he didn't mention whether all of them would be reserved for California or if they would be available sold out nationwide. Hey MINI, we'd say you've got a hit on your hands.

[captainpease @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:33AM]

Hells yeah!

[Nick Ritch @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:09PM]

Is this a new steering wheel for a video game?? Whats with the Buttons??

[Eric @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:40AM]

Being in California has its perks!

I may replace my Honda earlier than I was thinking!

[Orris @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:39AM]

Awesome. I really cannot wait to get one of these.

[stefan @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:15PM]

really? I mean.... it's still a girls car.

[fashionista @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:33PM]

You obviously have never driven a supercharged Mini.

[dnono @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:56PM]

a truly fun car when supercharged.

[AeroSigma @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:22PM]

Guys:

Electric = No Supercharger.

[Sukhminder @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:15PM]

I agree with Fashioneta, when I got a MINI as a courtesy car I rolled my eyes at the thought of driving one. Long story short, I plan on buying one.

Note: The MkII MINIs are turbocharged.

[steveo @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:01PM]

The Bush administration will be mega rich forever (all of them are related to black devil oil in one way or another).

I want an electric car now! If car manufacturers didn't get 10 billion each from oil companies, then they got screwed. You went to bed with the black devil and got taken to the cleaners.

Down with big oil! Electric cars running from wind and solar in 10 years.

[ryan @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:49AM]

The only problem with that is that the majority of the energy powering these cars is coming from petroleum and coal. You can't escape oil, well that is until it runs out

[Josh L @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:59AM]

You've got some serious issues going on there.

[kjb434 @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:02PM]

Are you just a blathering idiot......

Oil is the life engine of this planet. Anything related to any modern convenience is based in oil. Oil is the single reason the modern world even exists.

Advancements in electronics and computers would have never happened without oil. To bash oil is to bash all the technological marvels that has help modern progress from the mid 1800s to present.

And we are no where near close to using all the oil in this planet. We've barely tapped what exists.

[Durk @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:24PM]

@ryan, you have incorrect facts. Oil is not used heavily by the electric companies.

@kj, Oil is the life engine. We need to change that you a**. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.

See Pickens plan at http://www.pickensplan.com/
He has some good ideas but could be altered with EVs.

[Lazaro @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:26PM]

"And we are no where near close to using all the oil in this planet. We've barely tapped what exists."

sure man....whatever helps you sleep at night

[Sean M. @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:28PM]

Oil should just be perceived as another step in energy. We had wood, then bronze, then steel. It's all a progression.

the planet probably has plenty of oil, but as a resource, it's controlled by a small group which makes it a horrible 'life-blood'.

I'm not hugging trees or anything here, I'm just saying, viewing oil as a perfect solution to our energy needs is probably not our best move.

[Steve Gates @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:24PM]

Here's a way to help:

www.greendayeveryday.com

[jupiterthunder @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:25PM]

@steveo

You might want to read/watch/listen to some of the work of Albert Bartlett. If you don't understand after familiarizing yourself with "Arithmetic, Population, and Energy" you won't ever get it.

@Sean

Bronze and steel aren't/weren't energy sources. It goes wood, coal, oil.

[Benson @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:32PM]

@Sean M:
They used bronze for energy in the bronze age? I thought they used it for weapons and tools; now it makes so much more sense!

@Durk:
It's awesome that H is the most abundant element in the universe. (It's even in oil, strangely enough!) But that'd be a lot more helpful if we lived, say, in the sun, instead of on this rock...

[Rocketboy @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:22PM]

Well, H is certainly one of the most abundant substances on hard drives.

[Durk @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:31PM]

@jupiter, I bet you are from Texas, a hardcore republican, or even an oil lobyist. EVs are the way of the future and the policy makers have been pro-oil and it is time for our energy policies to change!

@Benson, Hydrogen is the long term goal and is on Earth. Wind and solar can be implemented now.

[Benson @ Jul 22nd 2008 4:09PM]

Some is on earth; there's a ton of it in the water, for example. Real helpful. The reason it's useful as a fuel is because it's reasonably reactive; oddly enough, it's mainly found in compounds.

So it's good... because electrolysis generates energy from nothing? Or because current hydrogen systems have such awesome energy density vs. electric?

Nuclear electricity is cheap and clean energy (till we run low on nuclear fuel, but by then we'll know about the next thing...), and is where current policy should be headed. Other options exist too; mainly solar, whether direct, via wind, or via biofuels. But the only way you can sanely fit H into any of these is as an intermediate storage and limited distribution method, and it's not a practical competitor at this point.

Long term goal? If you like, but I see no reason it's better (assuming substantial improvement in energy density) than battery or capacitor systems (assuming similar improvement).

[Blayed @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:45AM]

I, for one, welcome our mini, eco-friendly, surprisingly fun to drive robotic overlords...


Also, lets see 'em sold in Canada!

[EricR @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:10PM]

Last I checked this wasn't a robot...

[Blayed @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:19PM]

That's what they want you to think...

Just wait until they get their orders from the mothership.

You'll see.

You'll all see.

[Craig @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:25PM]

Well...YOURS may not be. That'll teach you to not spring for the CooperMatic Works package, you cheapskate.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:22PM]

He isn't a cheapskate, he is a forward thinker!

[Jamie @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:51AM]

I wish they would have given some mpg and range specs so I can plan whether or not to save my pennies for one or not.

[Bryan @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:03PM]

Not too many MPG stats for pure electric cars...

[Josh L @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:06PM]

There are MPG-equivalencies, yes.

I'd be more interested in range and charge time (I assume this is a plug-in electric), as well as top speed, acceleration, and the other usual car stats.

[7on @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:14PM]

∞MPG?

[cduran01 @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:57PM]

You mean MPC (Miles Per Charge). Im also interested in this, give me a high enough MPC (Ill need at least 60mpc I work 25 miles from home) and keep the price of the car under $40k and you have a deal.

[GaryZ @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:16PM]

It's still possible to get an equivalent MPG for pure electric cars: it consumes certain amount of electricity (normally measured in kWh) to fully charge a car, and the money you paid for the electricity can be translated into gallons of gas, so there you go...

[Todd Stiers @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:31PM]

My electric motorcycle gets 8 miles per KW-Hr, all city driving.

1 KW-Hr costs me 0.10-0.12$ = 0.015 $/mile

40 MPG at 4.75 gas = 0.12 $ /mile

(http://www.tronbikes.com)

[carl @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:41PM]

how about miles per pounds of coal burned at the power plant? Or if you're lucky, miles per turn of a wind/water turbine.

[waterwagen @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:56AM]

I'm certainly not a greenie, but I would love an electric Mini. Seems like a perfect fit.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:07PM]

If you can fit in a mini, then you're better off going with Power Wheels; world's oldest plug in electric vehicle.

[DT @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:54PM]

I'm 6'2" and fit easily...I never have backseat passengers so I just push my seat all the way back. Hella fun to drive, too. Cooper S, baby.

[MBS @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:18PM]

Oh no, you said "Hella".
That said I'm 6'5'' and fit perfectly comfortable in a mini.
In a clubman there could even be people in the back seat which is untrue for a lot of bigger cars.

[Jason Huber @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:59PM]

Naw powerwheels are too small: modifiedpowerwheels.com

[Schfelzerberg @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:56AM]

I actually thought those were the buttons of the Playstation controller on the sides of the wheel.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:20PM]

Thank god! Now I can cancel my ophthalmologist appointment

[jupiterthunder @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:19PM]

My first thought too. I see some modding potential. LCD in place of the tach. But where would the shoulder buttons go? The pedals are a good option, but then you couldn't play and drive at the same time. And as the cellphone wristband has reminded us, there's no fun in it unless there's some danger in it.

[jorvay @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:51PM]

Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-B-A-Select-Start lets you get in 30 accidents before you die.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:20PM]

...and your passenger.

[jorvay @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:39PM]

sure, but you gotta hit Select twice...

[Zorque @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:31AM]

You hadn't heard? You can take the steering assembly inside and play Gran Turismo with it.

[inteller @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:57AM]

dude.....this is what I've been waiting for.

I hope it isn't ridiculously priced.

[Dan @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:11PM]

Don't worry. It will be.

[From My Cube @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:00PM]

I hope BMW is watching this....id seriously by one if its priced right and sold in Ohio....BMW the cash cow is eating in your front yard...go take it!