Electric MINI hitting US streets in summer 2009
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 22nd 2008 11:29AM
posted Jul 22nd 2008 11:29AM
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
Hells yeah!
Is this a new steering wheel for a video game?? Whats with the Buttons??
Being in California has its perks!
I may replace my Honda earlier than I was thinking!
Awesome. I really cannot wait to get one of these.
really? I mean.... it's still a girls car.
You obviously have never driven a supercharged Mini.
a truly fun car when supercharged.
Guys:
Electric = No Supercharger.
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.
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.
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
You've got some serious issues going on there.
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.
@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.
"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
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.
Here's a way to help:
www.greendayeveryday.com
@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.
@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...
Well, H is certainly one of the most abundant substances on hard drives.
@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.
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).
I, for one, welcome our mini, eco-friendly, surprisingly fun to drive robotic overlords...
Also, lets see 'em sold in Canada!
Last I checked this wasn't a robot...
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.
Well...YOURS may not be. That'll teach you to not spring for the CooperMatic Works package, you cheapskate.
He isn't a cheapskate, he is a forward thinker!
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.
Not too many MPG stats for pure electric cars...
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.
∞MPG?
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 $40k and you have a deal.
It's still possible to get an equivalent MPG for pure electric cars: it consumes certain amount of electricity (normally measured in kWh) to fully charge a car, and the money you paid for the electricity can be translated into gallons of gas, so there you go...
My electric motorcycle gets 8 miles per KW-Hr, all city driving.
1 KW-Hr costs me 0.10-0.12$ = 0.015 $/mile
40 MPG at 4.75 gas = 0.12 $ /mile
(http://www.tronbikes.com)
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.
I'm certainly not a greenie, but I would love an electric Mini. Seems like a perfect fit.
If you can fit in a mini, then you're better off going with Power Wheels; world's oldest plug in electric vehicle.
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.
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.
Naw powerwheels are too small: modifiedpowerwheels.com
I actually thought those were the buttons of the Playstation controller on the sides of the wheel.
Thank god! Now I can cancel my ophthalmologist appointment
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.
Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-B-A-Select-Start lets you get in 30 accidents before you die.
...and your passenger.
sure, but you gotta hit Select twice...
You hadn't heard? You can take the steering assembly inside and play Gran Turismo with it.
dude.....this is what I've been waiting for.
I hope it isn't ridiculously priced.
Don't worry. It will be.
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!
Um... MINI is a subsidiary of BMW. My guess is that, yes, BMW is watching this.
BMW make MINI right ?
I think he meant "watching the discussion here" so that BMW will sell these where he is.
Let's hope they don't die as soon as the warranty expires like the gas fired ones do.
Wow, that's just plain BS. Got two Mini's in my family, one is 2 years out of warranty. My idiot brother ran out of gas and they still gave him free roadside assistance and offered a tow to have the fuel pump checked in the morning. Yes, he blew out the fuel pump....
Mini rocks!
With this electric one, we just may get a 3rd :)
No, it's not pure BS. We had a MINI that always had various minor issues during the warranty period. Minor, but annoying... like the on going problem with the windows not properly activating (admit it, it's happened to you too.) Then it's check engine light popped on a few hundred miles past warranty. One of the cylinders was loosing compression. Two dealers and a well regarded independent all confirmed this, and the potential fix wasn't cheap. Both dealers were complete asses about it, so we traded her in instead. It's great you're enjoying your two MINIs, but our experience wasn't as enjoyable.
Mini is 100% engineered/designed/produced by BMW
don't u know that ?
Then how do you explain this:
http://www.volksbloggin.com/wp-content/images/rabbit/hare.jpg
I thought this article was about a new PS3 racing wheel
I'll buy one!
I'm still happy you saw fit to bring news like this to us. :)
However, I thought you should know that this was actually covered already. Here. On Engadget. I am not looking to insult you, but Nilay actually dropped this story on us back on July 9th. You have some different wordage (and a different article source cited), but it's the same material.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/09/500-electric-minis-to-go-on-sale-in-california/
You think that may be why there is already a link to that article in the story....
Let's see how many people are jumping up and down when the price comes in. $40K ?
Read article? Check.
Research similar content? Check.
Read the hyperlinks (or at least hover and see the url)?
iFail.
good call, Jay.
Sign me up.
Cool ... and when will we:
"Plug into iTunes to restore".
No, really, great!
But where's the electric power coming from?
Windmills and Solar? Probably not.
I hope that Fusion Reactor project in France will finally get more funding and not more protests by "Greens", because it has something to do with "Atom" ...
Go Electric Fusion ... Mini ! ;)
what's with all these posts questioning where the electricity comes from? that's your best argument?
my electricity comes from 50% small hydro, 50% wind. sure, i pay a little extra every month, but it's worth it (to me). you can do the same, just switch energy supplier.
quit being such whiners, do something.
as soon as i can buy a plug-in hybrid for reasonable money i'm off oil...
Thats great news, tell me some greater news when the car gets redesigned so its not ugly
That Mini is hot. If I had the disposable cash, that would be my first purchase.
I'll stick with the Cooper D thanks
We don't get the MINI D's in the USA/Canada. Only gasoline (petrol) models.
I have a 430 mile highway range on my MINI Cooper (gasoline). I would only be interested in an electric MINI if it had that much of a range, but of course, it won't.
So, unless they have some voodoo magic batteries, I see this as only a municipal fleet vehicle, not a replacement for regular folks' cars.
You make 215-mile trips often?
I expect this'll be priced high enough to not fit in a one-car budget. You can just buy a nice used car for $5000 for your occasional hauls, or even rent one when you need it. I'd have no problem with it.
This will be awesome as long as they don't make it $30k
No, it will be $40,000!
Even though much of our electricity is generated by coal, electric and series hybrid cars still represent great progress. They can be 'upgraded' to renewable energy sources as we gradually develop new power plants.
Whereas a gasoline car is stuck running gasoline forever (unless you do one of those biodiesel mods, or E85 I guess).
This makes the volt look like a relic from the buggy whip factory.
Go Mini, Go!
nice... i'll be in the market for a new car around that time!! niceee.... performance and still killer on the mpg!! im in...
This is the SECOND time Engadget has run a car story without checking the facts recently. This is a program of 500 cars that is being done in California only. They will be leased, not sold. Mini fans are TRYING to get Mini to expand the program but it is not a regular model you can go to your dealer and buy. I'd expect you'd have to be a REALLY good Mini customer in California to be considered for the program.
Greetings:
BMW's Mini will not be the only Electric car in 2009.
Watch out for the Zenn Car, a Canadian built electric car.
The success of these eletric cars is the battery, this is where Zenn has
an advantage.
Regards Robert
The problem with the Zenn is that it isn't a car, it's a NEV. It's top speed is 25mph (40km/h) and it isn't technically a car (I think the term is quadracycle). It could be very dangerous on the road because they don't have the same saftey requirements as normal cars.
*real* electric cars like this Mini are expensive due to the power required and the relative low volumes. Plus, there's the added consideration of the pollution the creation and disposable of the batteries causes.
Well, and then there's the Tesla, and the Aptera should be out by end of year, as well....
I hope these come to Canada. Please bring these to Canada!
Is that a steering wheel or a playstation controller?
Shouldn't they call this a coal powered car since most of the electricity will come from coal.
No.
Coal, gas or nuclear, and a fraction of the energy the raw gasoline engine wastes.
Think in "Miles per KW-Hr" , all becomes clear :)
Unless the owners are burning their own coal to generate electricity I doubt most of the electric will come from coal.
Yeaaah Represent.
PS mines not exactly electric ;-)
Or front engine.
Or front wheel drive.
Or slow.
1500lbs, 260 hp
That seems like a bit of power for a beetle... wheelie much? :D
Yes! I can't wait to trade in my 2005 Mini Cooper S for this bad boy! Hopefully they make it in convertible too!
I hope the make an electric version of the Clubman!
I love my 06 Cooper S, and I'm test-driving a Clubman this weekend. I'll be watching this electric version with interest....
If they're being SOLD, then YAY!
If they're being LEASED, then BOO!
Man, this is the beginning of the end for car enthusiasts. Now cars will start loosing the internal combustion engine. The one thing you need for a car to be fun. This sucks.
has anyone mentioned solar energy to MINI?
I'd hold the golf-claps until we have a price.
I have an electric "mini" in my bedroom...
Where can I get more info on this? Is there any?
The D-pad on the left is for the volume and station/track control.
The top button is the hands free. (dead button on some models)
The bottom button is the call pick-up. (dead button on some models)
The D-pad on the right is for the cruise control.
I hope they don't ship with the marvin inspired cvt transmission, you have to experience it first hand to know what I mean.
BMW are definatly making these, but at present it is supposed to be a one of run of 500 (total). This means any press cars, test cars or showroom cars are included in the 500.
My understanding is this it is only being done to overcome some US Eco tax.
I only know the totals as I worked on the production equipment for the Instrument packs.
That's a stock MINI with a multi-function steering wheel. It's not an electric MINI concept car.
I drive a MINI, it is not a girl's car. In fact, there are more male drivers than female, of the MINI.
Ditto on electric. It's not the solution since current [pun intended] electric supplies could not handle the demands if many cars went electric.