Mini Car – Maximum Concern

In a bid to provide ultra-low carbon transport for the nation, the UK Government have pledged between £2000 and £5000 towards the purchase of electric cars for each customer. Supporting this project is BMW Mini and to show their support they are now trialling the Mini E in the UK.

Forty cars are to be produced for the UK market, following successful trials in the US and Germany and Mini see it as a good way of marking their fiftieth anniversary – by showing how they are moving forward in direct demand from the consumer and their environmental concerns.

Charging points for the Mini E are being supplied by Scottish and Southern Energy who are partnering with Mini on this project to show their support for sustainable energy resources. Whether or not the whole thing is a good idea will be decided by the Sustainable Vehicle Engineering Centre at Oxford Brookes University who will be analysing all the data received at the end of the one year trial.

It has been necessary to make the Mini E a two-seater vehicle due to the space required by the lithium battery but the design is based on the Mini hatch. It can reach 62mph in 8.5 seconds and for an electric car, the top speed of 95mph is quite impressive. Full battery recharge takes about four hours and at current prices will cost £1.50 of off peak electricity and £4 at peak rate prices.