11.5 kWh per 100 kilometres?
Contrary to the conventional MINI, the MINI E will only accommodate two people, as the lithium ion battery will take up the rear passenger area. This battery will boast a 35-kilowatthour capacity and will furnish direct current at a rated 380 volts. It's comprised of 5,088 cells grouped into 48 modules.
Like the Chevrolet Volt, the MINI E is pluggable, i.e. it can be plugged into a regular 110-volt outlet to recharge the battery. The battery will fully recharge in just two and a half hours.
According to the German manufacturer, one kilowatthour allows the car to travel 8.69 kilometres. A simple rule of three allows us to discover that the MINI E will consume 11.5 kWh per 100 km. Knowing that in Québec, one kilowatthour costs around $0.06, we can say that driving 100 km with a MINI E will cost $0.69. In comparison, an average vehicle that consumes around 8.4 L per 100 km would cost $9.20 to cover the same distance. As you can see, at a ratio of 1 to 14, the difference is huge.
Already 500 units for 2008
BMW plans on producing 500 units by the end of the year and offering them as test vehicles to private consumers and corporations in select American States in order to see how the MINI E will perform on a day-to-day basis. We're really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With a lease expiring in 2012, I'll undoubtedly have the opportunity to buy an electric vehicle or an extended-range electric vehicle when the time for a new car rolls around.
photo:GM, Mini, Chrysler
Contrary to the conventional MINI, the MINI E will only accommodate two people, as the lithium ion battery will take up the rear passenger area. This battery will boast a 35-kilowatthour capacity and will furnish direct current at a rated 380 volts. It's comprised of 5,088 cells grouped into 48 modules.
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| The MINI E will consume 11.5 kWh per 100 km. |
Like the Chevrolet Volt, the MINI E is pluggable, i.e. it can be plugged into a regular 110-volt outlet to recharge the battery. The battery will fully recharge in just two and a half hours.
According to the German manufacturer, one kilowatthour allows the car to travel 8.69 kilometres. A simple rule of three allows us to discover that the MINI E will consume 11.5 kWh per 100 km. Knowing that in Québec, one kilowatthour costs around $0.06, we can say that driving 100 km with a MINI E will cost $0.69. In comparison, an average vehicle that consumes around 8.4 L per 100 km would cost $9.20 to cover the same distance. As you can see, at a ratio of 1 to 14, the difference is huge.
Already 500 units for 2008
BMW plans on producing 500 units by the end of the year and offering them as test vehicles to private consumers and corporations in select American States in order to see how the MINI E will perform on a day-to-day basis. We're really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With a lease expiring in 2012, I'll undoubtedly have the opportunity to buy an electric vehicle or an extended-range electric vehicle when the time for a new car rolls around.
photo:GM, Mini, Chrysler