The Low Down On Green Living
July 26th, 2008
BMW Mini Electric Cars Coming to U.S. in Summer 2009
Stumble it!
Written by Andrew Williams, courtesy of Gas2.0
BMW has announced plans to sell all-electric versions of its popular Mini car in the U.S., starting from summer 2009.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mini USA Vice President, Jim McDowell, said that the company is still deciding whether to sell or lease the vehicles. He remained tight-lipped over exactly where in the country the cars will be available, and declined to comment on other aspects, such as range, power, charging time and price.
He also said that speculation that Mini will sell 500 EVs in California next year was premature, since no exact plans have yet been finalised. Mini will apparently make a further announcement later this year, possibly to coincide with the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Commenting on the trend for U.S. buyers to move towards smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, he said, “The world is moving in our direction. The overall market is down 10 percent, but small car sales are up 11 percent. People are trading in Ford F-150’s and Hummer’s for Mini’s.”
Mini join a growing band of car-makers planning to sell electric cars over the next few years, including global brands like Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Mercedes, as well as new start-ups and independent companies such as Tesla and Th!nk. Given the Mini’s style credentials and proven customer demand, this announcement is bound to ruffle a few feathers amongst the competition.
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Comments
mcark
July 29th, 2008 at 9:03 am
talk about guy candy……..wow! I consider myself a grown man with excellent taste and culture but I just want to be the first to say ” I WANNA!”
HHusband
July 29th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Just for reference,
I’ve driven the mini cooper, and I would never EVER buy one. This is not a bmw, bmw only owns them; the bmw and mini cooper are different under the hood, as well as inside.. I wish people would understand the difference.
That being said, I love the concept, but I would shoot myself after the first 5 minutes. The “mini-bmw” is not the car for me.
Chad
July 31st, 2008 at 8:13 am
I hope you have the money, because with the current cost of Li-ion batteries an Electric Mini would cost about $40,000.
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