At the Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW has revealed the MINI E, a zero-emission, two-seat version of its famous hatchback. The all-electric version will be leased to 500 Americans and Germans as part of a one-year trial.

In a further sign that full-electric drive vehicles are headed for mainstream, German carmaker BMW has unveiled its electric version of the MINI at this year’s LA Auto Show, ahead of a pilot project that will see 500 of the cars on US roads in 2009. Based on a regular MINI three-door hatch, the “MINI E” has swapped its conventional internal-combustion engine for a 150 kW electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. The 260 kg battery, made up of 5,088 propulsion lithium-ion cells grouped into 48 modules and packed into three battery elements, takes the place of the MINI’s rear seats, making the car a two-seater only.

Unveiled to the world public on 19 November, the MINI E is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds – 1.9 seconds faster than its non-electric brother – thanks to the battery’s maximum capacity of 35 kilowatt hours transmitting energy to the electric motor as direct current at a nominal 380 volts. BMW has limited the E’s top speed to 152 km/h, with the car focused on city driving. The car uses a regenerative braking system directly linked to the accelerator. Every time the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator pedal, the electric motor acts as a generator, feeding kinetic energy to the battery. Using the braking system effectively can increase the driving range by around 20%, from 240 km to 290 km.

Inside, the most notable difference between the E and a regular MINI, apart from the missing rear seats, is the swapping of the tachometer for a battery-power gauge providing information on how much charge is left in the system.

One-year test trial

By the end of 2008, MINI will build 500 models of the electric version at its production plant in Oxford, England. The battery, electric motor, transmission and relating electronics will be added at BMW in Munich, Germany. In 2009, 250 of these cars will be set to a “field trial” in Los Angeles, and 200 in New York. A smaller trial with the remaining 50 cars will take place in Germany, BMW is expected to announce next week.

Over the one year test period, private and corporate customers will be able to lease a MINI E, but not buy it. Compared to leasing a MINI Cooper S ($350 a month), the costs for driving the MINI E will be more than twice as high ($850), making the first models not the cheapest means of transport. Test persons will be chosen from “interested parties” living in New York and Los Angeles who have registered on the MINI USA website. After the one-year lease, the cars will return to BMW for comparative tests. The carmaker claims that this is strictly a research programme and that it has no intention of putting the MINI E into any serious production. However, if the scheme is successful, an electric MINI is likely to go into production within a few years.

All 500 test vehicles will come with a “wallbox”, which will be fitted into customer’s garages or near the place of work for convenient recharging. The 50 ampere charging socket can fully charge the battery in just 2.5 hours while a normal US 110v supply would take almost 28 hours to do the same.