An old friend stopped by to show a mini-cooper that he was test driving for BMW. Four hundred of these are being tested across the US for one year each.

There are two noticable things I didn't expect. First the car has over 200 HP and takes off like a turbo carrera. The acceleration is very noticable. Second, when not accelerating and slowing down, a generator is recharging the batteries. The brakes are hardly needed.

The design is modern and interesting, I liked the interior door panels for their design best.

Here are a few pictures I took. This mini is # 230

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Also learned these are not for sale yet. One reason is the cost of the batteries is still high and new technologies are already leapfrogging the current ones. Second, BMW may choose to incorporate the electric technology into another model and not the mini.

The current battery pack is estimated to cost $50K; but in the future, owners may buy the car seperately and lease the batteries. The battery's life in the car is estimated to be 5 years, but may be used for another 10 years as an energy collector for wind turbines.

very cool jim! that's a pretty cool ride.. i must say, having worked for telsa and driven the tesla roadster before, i was very impressed with the acceleration. i think it'll be really cool to do a "fast" electric conversion on a 914.. considering most of electric conversion 914's i've seen have all been slower than the stock IC motors..

i am however, curious to see how a 200hp fwd electric car feels like.. was there a lot of torque steering?

Very cool car. I can't wait til the day I own a full electric. Maybe a used Tesla sedan in about 8 years...

I remember a company that produces in-wheel electric motors converted a Mini a few years ago. Here's the website. 640 hp, AWD. Strange thing is that I've never seen footage of it (or read of it) being driven - wonder if it's vaporware...

I am so very happy to hear that someone is looking into the total life usage of batteries.

very impressive set up.. tho i notice the hubs sit much further out, make all the wheels sitting much wider apart than the stock mini. i wonder if there any interference on the front wheels when turning.. or maybe since it's awd with a motor in each wheel, it just turns like a tank by adjusting each in hub motor speed

Otmar has been drag racing his electric 914 for years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPBREn3ibgI

http://www.evcl.com/914/

http://www.evalbum.com/293

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl9uejKnMFQ


1000 flbs of torque at 0 rpm is pretty impressive.

He hasn't updated his website in years and since moved to Oregon ...
Andy

The motor in this Mini was made by the same company that does the Tesla. The mini steering is effertless while accelarting up to 90. They put a top-end speed limit in the test models of 90.

A company called PML Flightlink developed a true serial hybrid on a cooper a couple years ago. They did it as a one off to showcase their motor and motor controller technology. That car was the shizzzle!

250cc motorcycle engine connected directly to a generator.
4 printed disk motors. 1 in each wheel.

80+ MPG
1100+ mile range
0-60: 4.2 Sec

I WANT THIS CAR!

-Josh2

thank you for sharing them links andy. i do remember now a good friend told me about this guy a while back when i was doing work for tesla and ac propulsion.. is he active on the board here? i wonder what he's up to these days.. it'd be nice to meet him someday.

Shit, I'd even want that car and I am a die hard gasoline junky.

I opened the door for my fiance the other night on a one way street, her door was on the traffic side, let her in, closed it, stepped away from the door and almost got run over by a Prius, scared the shit outa me, never heard it coming.....

They should have to put a baseball card in the spokes