Green Motoring: a guide to green cars and motoring for those concerned for the environment
(Image © BMW)
By Dan Trent

With its BMW-developed EfficientDynamics and auto start-stop system the regular Mini is already greener than most. But in a surprise move the Mini is set to get even greener, with a pilot scheme rolling out pre-production electric versions.

500 of the zero emissions Mini E will be delivered to specially selected customers in the US, following the car’s debut at the LA Auto Show in November. The cars will be run for a year on a lease basis to put the electric Mini to the test in real-world driving conditions.

Honda is doing much the same with its fuel cell FCX Clarity, supplying them to a select group of Californian ‘owners’. Real time R&D like this is obviously a huge help to the engineers but the marketing value of being seen as first to market with a new technology like fuel cells is also very valuable.

Ever PR savvy, you can be sure Mini will be milking the opportunity to steal the initiative on rivals too, the pre-production status of the cars side-stepping any potential glitches or problems owners may encounter. Win-win for all concerned in other words.

So much for the big picture – what about the car? Well, it doesn’t look much different from a standard Mini from the outside, other than the unique paint scheme and stylised electric plug logos on every available surface. Interior space has been seriously compromised in the back though, with the lithium-ion batteries taking the place of the rear seats.
(Image © BMW)

Weight soars to 1465kg as a result but performance is still respectable, thanks to a 380volt/201bhp/162lb ft electric motor sending the Mini E to 62mph from rest in 8.3 seconds (faster than the Mini Cooper D’s 9.9 seconds) and onto a limited 95mph maximum. With upto 35 kilowatt hours (kWh) of on-board storage, range is around 150 miles.

Brake regeneration helps with this and charging a fully drained battery takes anything up to 24 hours, depending on the power output of the grid you’re connected to. American Mini E owners will get a special high amp ‘wall box’ charging unit fitted to their garages, slashing this to just 2.5 hours.