We at Sustainability Ninja think the Mini Cooper is a damn cute car. And now, the Cooper doing the smart thing by jumping on the electric vehicle bandwagon. Can we get a hoo raah?
In a floundering auto industry, when many automakers struggle to attract buyers, Mini has to figure out which buyers to choose, the good people over at BMW are having a problem: They can’t build enough electric Mini coopers to meet demand. Mini will release only 450 vehicles and another 50 in Berlin. From there, the company will decide whether or not to mass produce the vehicle.
Powered by a 100 % electric motor, the Mini E can accelerate to 62 mph in just 8.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 95 mph. Unfortunately, Mini E is only available for lease and will be available in just three cities. Despite a hefty price tag, there has been a whopping demand for the car.
“We have to make sure their driving style fits with what we want,” Jim McDowell, vice president of Mini USA, told ANE. “If you drive 200 miles a day, that’s a longer daily drive than our range.”
McDowell says Mini has whittled the application list down to 1,000 people. The 450 people who will be selected should receive their cars in April.
