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BMW Group will
present the new, electrically-powered MINI E
to the global media for the first time at
the Los Angeles Auto Show on 19/20 November
2008. 500 MINI E vehicles will then be
shipped to the US states of California, New
York and New Jersey for testing with private
and corporate customers.
The cars
will be delivered to customers on a one-year
lease with an extension option. Monthly
lease instalments will cover any required
technical service including all necessary
maintenance and the replacement of wearing
parts. At the end of the lease, all of the
automobiles belonging to the project will be
returned to the BMW Group’s engineering
fleet where they will be subjected to
comparative tests.
The MINI
E’s electric drive train produces a peak
torque of 220 Nm, and power is delivered to
the front wheels via a single-stage helical
gearbox. This unique engine and
transmission arrangement powers the MINI E
seamlessly to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds and on
to an electronically-limited top speed of 95
mph.
Based on
the current MINI Hatch, the car will
initially be available as a two-seater. The
space normally inhabited by rear passengers
is reserved for a lithium-ion battery.
When in use
in the zero-emissions MINI, the battery unit
combines high output with ample storage
capacity and remarkable power output. The
lithium-ion storage unit will have a maximum
capacity of 35 kilowatt hours (kWh) and
transmit energy to the electric motor as
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 arranged inside
the MINI E.
The energy
storage unit’s basic components are based on
technologies proven in power supply units
for mobile phones and portable computers.
The MINI E’s lithium-ion battery can be
plugged into all standard power outlets. Its
charge time 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
period of time using a wallbox that will be
supplied as standard with every MINI E.
The wallbox
will be installed in the customer’s garage,
enable higher amperage, and thus provide for
extremely short charging times. Wallboxes
fully recharge batteries in just
two-and-a-half hours. Only lockable garages
or similar buildings will qualify as power
stations for the MINI E. |
