The Mini E—an all-electric version of the Mini Cooper—is capable of approximately 150 miles on a charge, and boasts a 0 to 60 mph time of 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 95 miles per hour. Approximately 500 Mini E cars were produced—and leased to municipalities and individuals in Southern California, New York, and New Jersey.

The list of complaints includes:

• Mini Es were delivered as EV conversions—with the back seat taken up by the battery pack—rather than finished production cars
• Months-long delays in delivery of vehicles to lessees
• A shortage of high-power cables leaving owners with 110-volt charging requiring as long as 21 hours for a full charge
• Months of delays in the installation and inspection of home charging equipment, some requiring expensive upgrades to home power service

The most serious accusation levied against BMW comes from Plug In America, the electric car advocacy group. The group said the Mini E program was “botched,” and accused BMW of establishing the program merely to get credit for California Air Resources Board (CARB) Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. BMW gets full credit for vehicles even though they are leased for one year. Plug In America also blames CARB for its confusing patchwork of regulations, which essentially created a loophole for BMW to exploit.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mini spokeswoman Nathalie Bauters said the company made no secret of trying to take advantage of the Zero Emission Vehicle credits ahead of the June 30 deadline. Rich Steinberg, manager of product strategy for the Mini brand, added, “BMW is clearly committed to this technology. We have learned a bloody ton, and we intend to use that learning in the future.”

In fact, BMW will officially launch its first electric car—under its “Project I” program—in 2011, according to Car and Driver magazine. The BMW “City”—the name will probably change before it hits the market—is a three-door hatchback four-seater a little smaller than a Honda Fit. The styling will be “BMW-like” and the range will be approximately 100 miles.

As Car and Driver reports: “According to BMW chairman and CEO Norbert Reithofer, the City is designed specifically for the US market to meet California’s Zero-Emission-Vehicle (ZEV) requirements.” BMW is also developing gas and diesel version of the City for Asian markets, particularly China.

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The market test of about 500 Mini E cars in New York, New Jersey and California was to include a special 220-volt charging unit so leasees could recharge their cars in 3.5 hours. But the installation of the charging box has to be approved by each local municipality. Each city “has different codes and different inspectors” according to Tom Baloga, BMW’s vice president of engineering. That could delay some East Coast installations as much as six months. Until the 220 chargers can be installed, the 35kWh lithium ion battery pack in the Mini E can still be charged using standard 110-volt household socket, but a full charge there will take 21 hours.

With a full charge, the Mini E should be good for about 150 miles. The first drivers are achieving about 100 miles of range in real-world driving. Using either 110 or 220 will cost the same, since utilities charge by the kilowatt hour. BMW said it has delivered more than 50 Mini Es so far in its one-year marketing test.

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The ten MINI Es, which will log close to 100 miles of driving per day, are part of a larger effort to see how these small zero-emission plug-ins fare in real-world, everyday conditions. The cars will be evaluated on criteria ranging from performance to ‘wear and tear’. A total of 500 MINI Es will be put to the test in New York, Los Angeles, New Jersey, London, and Berlin. 450 of the vehilces will be leased to individuals for personal use, while 50 will be used in municipal initiatives, like SCOUT.

Although Mayor Michael Bloomberg has committed New York’s participation in the year-long study, it was only two weeks ago that he announced that the city wold have to reduce its vehicle fleet by ten percent to meet recent budget cuts. The reduction would eliminate more than 700 cars, including more the 75 Toyota Priuses.

The MINI E cars will begin arriving in New York City as early as April.

The MINI E can travel in excess of 150-miles on a single charge. Its 150 kilowatt motor produces 201 horsepower and allows a top speed of 95 miles per hour. MINI will also be providing customers with a special wall box that can recharge the car’s lithium ion battery in less than three hours.

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The car’s 380-volt battery back comprised of 5,088 individual cells, and can be recharged using a standard 110-volt electrical outlet. The battery pack has a maximum capacity of 35-kilowatt hours. BMW will offer a specialized high-amp wall-mounted device that will allow a full replenishment of the battery in less than three hours. The Mini E will have a cruising range of 150 miles, well beyond the requirements of most daily commutes.

In terms of performance, the Mini E will benefit from 204-horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. The result is a 0 to 60 time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 95 miles per hour. These numbers fall short of specs for the standard MINI Cooper, but the Mini E will grant performance—especially acceleration from zero—much better than virtually all compacts or subcompacts currently on the road today.

The Mini E optimizes efficiency with a re-calibrated suspension, regenerative braking capability, and a modified air-conditioning compressor designed to cut down on power usage.

Approximately 500 cars are slated for production, which will take place at BMW’s Munich plant before the end of 2008. The price of the Mini E, or production beyond the first demonstration models, has not yet been determined. Follow the progress of the Mini E on MINIspace.com.

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