The Mini E will be officially presented at the Los Angeles Motor Show 2008

Just a few days ago, we showed official photos of the MINI E, and today BMW Group has confirmed that the Mini E will be presented at the Los Angeles Motor Show on 19 and 20 November. With this step, BMW will be the first selected car manufacturer to place in the hands of its customers a fleet of cars powered exclusively by electricity, intended for daily use.

In principle BMW will deliver the MINI E to a selected group of companies and private customers in California, New York and New Jersey to begin trials, although the possibility of also using the MINI E in Europe is currently being studied.

The novelty of this new model is undoubtedly its state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery technology, developed specifically for implementation in MINI. It consists of 88 cells installed in 48 modules with a total capacity of 35 kilowatt-hours; its basic components use the same technology as the batteries in mobile phones and laptops. With the battery fully charged, the MINI is capable of covering just over 250 kilometres, something truly surprising given that this is a technology still in its infancy. The space that in the production model is provided for rear passengers is, in this case, reserved for the battery.

To charge the MINI E, all you have to do is plug it into any power socket. The charging time depends directly on the voltage and electrical load of the grid. In the USA, a completely discharged battery recharges in a very short time using the wallbox included with the MINI E. This wall box, installed in the customer’s garage, provides a higher current, so the charging time is shorter. After just two and a half hours from the moment of connection to the wallbox, the battery is fully charged.

Source | BMW Group Press