Filed under: EV/Plug-in, MINI, LA Auto Show, USA
Revealed: Electric MINI E
Click for a high res gallery of the MINI E
We've known for a little while now that BMW would be introducing an electric version of its iconic MINI, and now we have the photo proof as Autocar has taken the wraps off the new electric car. Equipped with a 572-pound lithium ion battery of unknown capacity, the MINI E reportedly has a range of 150 miles after an 8-hour charge. Its electric heart beats out 204-horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, which should be plenty to make this MINI scoot. Indeed, the run to 60 should take a bit over 8-seconds and the top speed has been limited to 95 miles per hour. The entire car weighs in at a bit over 3,200 pounds and regenerative braking is used to extend the range. Body modifications are minimal, with unique badges and paint separating the E from its gas-powered siblings. On the inside, the gages have been switched up, with a multi-function unit in front of the driver, though the speedometer is still front and center in the middle of the dash. We'll be seeing it in person next month at the LA Auto Show.
UPDATE: We've added a high res gallery of the MINI E.
Gallery: MINI E
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rob 10:17PM (10/17/2008)
Oh those are some NICE specs. This has real potential.
One question though: Why keep the big manual gearshift?
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Nick 10:24PM (10/17/2008)
Awesome ! But how can it get 150 miles when the Volt gets half of that??
When will it be avail ?
How much?
How many to be built?
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rob 11:07PM (10/17/2008)
Well, the Volt will have a "usable capacity" of 8kWh from it's 16kWh battery.
The linked article says the Mini's "Energy consumption is put at around 4.4 miles/kWh." Given the figure of 150 mile range, that would put the usable capacity of it's battery around at around 34kWh. Presumably they'll use about 95% of the battery charge range which would mean a 36kWh pack.
We've been told the weight of the battery, using that I get 138.5Wh/kg for the pack. That's totally within the realm of current technology, especially if you don't care about the number of charge cycles (these are all going to be leased, after all). I wonder what chemistry they're using?
Chris M 3:54AM (10/18/2008)
Rob: If your figures are correct, it sounds like they are using standard LiIon with cobalt oxide, similar to the ones Tesla Motors is using for their Roadster. Their ESS (energy storage system) comes in at about 130 wh per Kg, too.
It is possible that Tesla may be selling battery packs designed for the Mini, and just haven't announced it yet, or it could be that someone else has duplicated the Tesla design.
kert 11:43AM (10/18/2008)
36kwh battery would be $18K at currently available $500/kwh.
Now take the base Mini build cost, leave off the ICE engine
Andy 2:02AM (10/19/2008)
Just guessing at some numbers.
COS $30,000
Profit Margin 30%
Financing cost 7%
Depreciation 5 years
The leases would be upward from $800 per month.
I'll be interested to see how they price it.
ryan 10:50PM (10/17/2008)
Good questions Nick. I like your thinking. Immediately believing something because it is in print can be a very dangerous thing. Ask questions to get to the bottom of things, and always be a skeptic till the very end.
Even so, if they COULD pull off those numbers... those things will sell like hotcakes.
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Nick 2:41AM (10/18/2008)
That's right, Ryan, that's why I'm asking the question here for clarification.
??
sl 3:35AM (10/18/2008)
You can sign up to be one of the 500 test drivers here:
http://www.minispace.com
There is also a fact sheet PDF available.
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Bob 5:11AM (10/18/2008)
It is possible that Tesla may be selling battery packs designed for the Mini, and just haven't announced it yet, or it could be that someone else has duplicated the Tesla design.
Greetz Bob - http://www.torrentbug.com
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Dean 9:02AM (10/18/2008)
A battery that big?
$50,000 at the MINIMUM.
Other than that, and the fact that I have no headroom in a MINI, this is awesome!
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george 1:48PM (10/18/2008)
This is a great step towards greener cars. I hope it increases the popularity of electric cars in the future when it is released.
For me, conversion is always the top solution to the environmental concerns of the world: http://gas2electric.net
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iq 1:54AM (10/20/2008)
what is the purpose of making these cars? why not sell them? are they going to take them back like the Ev1 and destroy after the leases expires?
I think they are just making these cars to cover some kind of requirement by the federal government or California(I assume they will only do it in California since they will put it out in the LA auto show)
I would not get into it, it does not sound good.
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Sasparilla 12:46PM (10/20/2008)
Regarding the question of this car's range and the Volt - they are two different types of vehicles. The Mini here is a full Electric vehicle - no regular engine, so it has a bigger battery pack since that is all it can use. Remember the GM EV1 with NiMH packs (a generation older than Lithium packs) had much more than 100 miles range - would have been in the 300+ mile area with Lithium Ions. These types of vehicles are known as pure Electric Vehicles (EV's).
The Volt uses a smaller (in proportion) battery pack to give the vehicle only a 40 mile range (a smaller battery pack is cheaper) and a gas engine to kick in if you drive further than 40 miles before you charge up (most people's daily driving falls in the 40 mile range...says GM). This is what is known as a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle or PHEV...its just a different way to tackle the problem.
GM could put a much bigger pack into the Volt and drop the gas engine and have a much bigger all electric range if they wanted to, but that's not their basic strategy. There has been some talk they may do this for a variation of the Volt to meet the California requirements for zero emissions vehicles in the future, but that a ways off, if it happens.
One of the biggest cost items in these cars is the battery pack, so the smaller capacity you can make it the cheaper it will be, GM is betting that all the extra expense of the regular gas engine etc. is cheaper (or will sell better) than a pure EV Volt with a big battery.
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don hall bearcreekresearch 3:52PM (10/20/2008)
Teaser E car releases to "Test public interest, test electric prototypes ..." pure balderdash, something is underlying this type of public pure E Mini marketing/hyped release.
The hard costs for this vehicle perfectly match $48k to $53k dollar marks, why? The regen means using AC motor (expensive - up front, less expensive downstream) The battery pack,
cost wise is more likely std. liION cobalt oxide, for A123 or exotics the prices would soar to $100k.
The good thing is this is going to be a great little car. The bad thing is that until the battery prices are produced in volume, we are stuck with Very High Prices ... this will do little to help volume exotic LiION battery prices.
Would I buy it ... yes, why? I love the Mini.
do i buy into the Mini E as a possible production car? no. why? By mass producing the car, the prices would have been immediately doable for both manufacturer and buyer. Signs of bad love.
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IrishG 11:55AM (10/23/2008)
Any idea who is supplying the battery for this?
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EBuilder 9:51PM (10/31/2008)
Follow this link to see who built the drive train and battery.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/29/mini-e-gets-it-guts-from-ac-propulsion-not-tesla/
cimarron 3:03PM (11/25/2008)
Battery pack alone costs approx $50K-an expensive Eco toy..........why bother?
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Strangely Perfect 6:46PM (12/07/2008)
The battery pack weights and costs are all over the place. The costs put forward by Cimarron and Don Hall are more like mine here: http://strangelyperfect.tv/1817/mini-e-an-enviromental-disaster-looms-from-muddled-thinking/
The weights don't tally from the specs either. Normal mini is ~1.1T; battery Mini ~1.5T
That's 400kg difference. However, the battery mini doesn't have the half tonne engine in the front, so a normal mini without engine is ~0.6T.
Things just don't add up, which is perhaps the whole point of this blinkered engineering "solution" to a publicly embarrassing problem for the big car makers on both sides of the Atlantic.
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