Equally some of yous have already requested more information on the Mini East technology, I am going to post some photos that were released past BMW today, along with their full technical press release.

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Mini Eastward – Technical Specifications

The BMW Grouping will be the globe'southward outset manufacturer of premium automobiles to deploy a armada of some 500 all-electric vehicles for private utilize in daily traffic. The MINI East will be powered past a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor fed by a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox about without a sound and entirely costless of emissions. Specially engineered for motorcar utilise, the bombardment engineering volition take a range of more than 250 kilometers, or 156 miles. The MINI Eastward will initially be made available to select private and corporate customers as office of a pilot projection in the U.s.a. states of California, New York and New Jersey. The company is looking into expanding the MINI E pilot to include Europe. The MINI Due east volition gloat its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19 and 20.

The MINI East's electric bulldoze train produces a pinnacle torque of 220 Newton meters, delivering seamless acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) in eight.5 seconds. Tiptop speed is electronically limited to 152 km/h (95 mph). Featuring a suspension system tuned to match its weight distribution, the MINI Due east sports the brand's hallmark agility and outstanding handling.

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By introducing the MINI Due east, the BMW Group is underscoring the resolve with which it works towards reducing energy consumption and emissions in road traffic. The BMW Group is drawing on its unique technological expertise in the field of bulldoze systems to develop a vehicle concept enabling zip emissions without renouncing the joy of driving. Putting some 500 cars on the road nether real daily traffic weather will brand it possible to proceeds widely applicable hands-on experience. Evaluating these findings will generate valuable know-how, which will be factored into the applied science of mass-produced vehicles. The BMW Group aims to start series product of all-electric vehicles over the medium term as part of its Number I strategy. The evolution of innovative concepts for mobility in large-city conurbations within the telescopic of "projection i" has a similar thrust, every bit its objective also includes making utilize of an all-electrical power railroad train.

The energy storage unit: cutting-border lithium-ion technology engineered specifically for use in the MINI.
Based on the current MINI, the machine will initially be available equally a ii-seater. The space taken up past back-seat passengers in the series model has been reserved for the lithium-ion battery. When in employ in the zero-emissions MINI, the battery unit combines loftier output with ample storage capacity and a small footprint with power ratios that are unrivalled in this field of application so far. The lithium-ion storage unit will accept a maximum capacity of 35 kilowatt hours (kWh) and transmit energy to the electrical motor every bit direct current at a nominal 380 volts. The rechargeable battery is made up of 5,088 cells grouped into 48 modules. These modules are packaged into three battery elements that are compactly bundled within the MINI E.
The free energy storage unit's bones components are based on the technological principle that has proven itself in practice in ability supplies for mobile phones and portable computers. The MINI E'southward lithium-ion battery tin be plugged into all standard power outlets. Its charge fourth dimension is strongly dependent on the voltage and amperage of the electricity flowing through the grid. In the USA, users can recharge a battery that has been completely drained within a very short menstruation of fourth dimension using a wallbox that volition ship with every MINI E. The wallbox will be installed in the customer'southward garage, enable higher amperage, and thus provide for extremely short charging times. Wallboxes fully recharge batteries after a mere two-and-a-half hours.

Driven by electricity: reliably, affordably and free of emissions.
A full recharge draws a maximum of 28 kilowatt hours of electricity from the filigree. Based on the car'due south range, a kilowatt 60 minutes translates into 5.4 miles. Besides the do good of zippo-emissions driving, the MINI East thus offers significant economic advantages over a vehicle powered by a conventional internal combustion engine likewise.

The heavy-duty bombardment delivers its power to an electric motor, which transforms it into thrilling agility. Mounted transversely under the MINI E's bonnet, the drive train unleashes its total thrust from a dead standstill. This provides for the motorcar's fascinating launch capability. The MINI E's intense driving experience is augmented by its dynamic deceleration potential, which is as well directly coupled to the accelerator pedal. As shortly every bit the driver releases the gas pedal, the electric motor acts every bit a generator. This results in braking strength, and the power recovered from the kinetic energy is fed back to the bombardment. This interaction ensures extremely comfortable drives – peculiarly at medium speed with constant, simply marginal, variation. In city traffic, some 75 percentage of all deceleration can be washed without the brakes. Making substantial use of this energy recuperation feature extends the car'due south range by up to 20 pct.

Signature MINI agility in a new guise.
Weighing in at 1,465 kilograms (three,230 lbs), the MINI E has an even weight distribution. Minor modifications made to the interruption ensure safe handling at all times. The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) organization has been adapted to this model's specific wheel loads.
The MINI E'southward brake organisation comes with a newly developed electric underpressure pump. Its Electrical Power Assisted Steering (EPS) is the same every bit the i used in mass-produced MINIs. Both restriction and steering assistance react to driving conditions and are thus extremely efficient. Even the air conditioning'due south electrical compressor only operates if desired or necessary.

Design: unmistakably MINI, undoubtedly new.
At get-go glance, the MINI E is obviously an iteration of the brand. Only its design, which is the blueprint for the zero-emissions two-seater, has been complemented past a number of visual cues that indicate to its revolutionary drive concept. All of the units produced for the pilot project will have the aforementioned paintwork and bear a serial number adjacent to their side turn point lights.
The MINI Eastward's coachwork sports an exclusive combination of metallic Nighttime Silvery on all panels only the roof, which is clad in Pure Silver. What distinguishes the zero-emissions MINI is a specially designed logo in Interchange Yellow, depicting a stylized power plug in the shape of an "Eastward" set confronting the silver backdrop. It has been practical to the roof, in smaller dimensions to the front and back, to the charger port lid, the dashboard trim, and – combined with the MINI logo – to the door jamb, in slightly modified class. The colour of the roof edges, mirror housings, interior manner cues and seat seams will match the logo's yellowish tone as well.

Moreover, the central gauge and the battery level indicator behind the cycle of the MINI East, which replaces the MINI's rev counter, feature yellow lettering against a dark greyness background. The battery level is displayed in percentage figures. The central judge includes an LED brandish indicating power consumption in red and power recuperation in green.
MINI E customers volition be office of a pioneering mission.

A 500-unit of measurement, limited-production MINI E series will be manufactured through the end of 2008. The project will thus accomplish an lodge of magnitude that clearly exceeds the size of currently comparable test series. Putting the MINI Eastward on the road on a daily footing will be a pioneering feat to which both the drivers and engineers of the beginning naught-emissions MINI volition contribute as a team.

MINI E customers will bring together forces with BMW Group experts to assist in the projection'southward scientific evaluation. MINI E engineers accordance high importance to staying in bear on with the drivers on a regular basis, as this will assist them clarify driver behavior besides vehicle characteristics in order to gain the almost authentic and realistic pic of the demands placed on a vehicle with a purely electric bulldoze in the select usage areas.

Special charging station and full service for every MINI Due east.
The cars will change hands based on a one-year charter with an extension choice. Monthly charter installments will cover any required technical service including all necessary maintenance and the replacement of wearing parts. At the terminate of the lease, all of the automobiles belonging to the projection will exist returned to the BMW Group's applied science fleet where they will be subjected to comparative tests.
The MINI E's lithium-ion battery can be charged using a wallbox provided to MINI customers. Only lockable garages or similar buildings volition qualify as homebases and power stations for the MINI E.

Maintenance by qualified specialists.
The electric drive's high-voltage technology requires that maintenance work be done by qualified personnel using special tools that are not included in MINI service partners' standard toolboxes. In lite of this, a service base volition be set up on both coasts, staffed by service engineers that are specially trained to perform maintenance and repair work on the MINI East'due south electrical components. In the outcome of drive malfunction, these experts will provide professional support at the customer's local MINI dealer or the service base's especially equipped workshop. Technical inspections will take identify after iii,000 miles (just under 5,000 kilometers) and at to the lowest degree later on vi months.

Product in Oxford and Munich.
The MINI E has already gone through the major phases of product evolution for mass-produced vehicles and passed numerous crash tests on the way. Aspects investigated besides passenger protection were the bear upon of collision forces on the lithium-ion bombardment and finding a non-hazardous location for it in the car. The MINI E's free energy storage unit of measurement emerged completely unscathed from all of the crash tests mandated by US standards, which are especially high.

Product of the approximately 500 cars volition take place at the company's Oxford and Munich sites and is scheduled for completion earlier the cease of 2008. MINI'due south UK constitute will be responsible for manufacturing the entire vehicle with the exception of the bulldoze components and the lithium-ion bombardment, with the make'south series models rolling off its associates lines concurrently. The units volition then exist transferred to a specially equipped manufacturing complex situated on BMW plant premises where the electric motor, battery units, performance electronics and transmission volition exist integrated.