The heavy-duty battery delivers its power to an electric motor, which is mounted transversely under the MINI E's bonnet. This power unit is able to unleash its full thrust from a dead standstill and is complemented by its dynamic deceleration potential, which is directly coupled to the accelerator pedal.
As soon as the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the electric motor acts as a generator. This results in braking force, and the power recovered from the kinetic energy is fed back to the battery. This interaction ensures a comfortable and smooth driving experience. In city traffic, some 75 per cent of all deceleration can be done without the brakes. Making substantial use of this energy regeneration feature extends the car's range by up to 20 percent.
The MINI E's brake system comes with a newly developed electric pump. Its Electrical Power Assisted Steering (EPS) is the same as the one used in mass-produced MINIs.
The MINI E's 1,465 kilograms is evenly distributed across the car. Handling safety is ensured by modifications to the suspension system and the car's Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), which is adapted due to this model's specific wheel loads.
Unique styling to mark out the new MINI E
Every MINI E produced for this pilot project will have the same paintwork and bear a serial number on their front bumpers.
The MINI E's coachwork features an exclusive combination of metallic Dark Silver on all panels but the roof, which is clad in Pure Silver. What distinguishes the zero-emissions MINI E is a unique logo in Interchange Yellow, depicting a stylised power plug in the shape of an "E" set against a silver background. It has been applied to the roof, in smaller dimensions to the front and back, to the charger port lid, the dashboard trim, and combined with the MINI logo to the door jamb, in slightly modified form. The colour of the roof edges, mirror housings, interior style cues and seat seams will also match the logo's yellow hue.
Inside, the central gauge and battery level indicator behind the wheel of the MINI E which replaces the MINI's rev counter - feature yellow lettering against a dark grey background. The battery level is displayed in percentage figures. The central gauge includes an LED display indicating power consumption in red and power recuperation in green.
Maintenance by qualified specialists
The electric drive's high-voltage technology requires that maintenance work be done by qualified personnel using special tools that are not included in MINI service partners standard toolboxes. In light of this, a service base will be set up for customers in California, New York and New Jersey, staffed by MINI service engineers that are specially trained to perform maintenance and repair work on the MINI E's electrical components. In the event of drive malfunction, these experts will provide professional support at the customer's local MINI dealer or the service base's specially equipped workshop. Technical inspections will take place after 3,000 miles (just under 5,000 kilometres) and at least after six months.
Production in Oxford and Munich
The MINI E has already gone through the major phases of product development for mass-produced vehicles and passed numerous crash tests on the way. The MINI E's energy storage unit emerged completely unscathed from all of the crash tests mandated by US standards, which are especially high.
Production of the 500 cars will take place at the company's Oxford and Munich sites and is scheduled for completion before the end of 2008. MINI's Plant Oxford will be responsible for manufacturing the entire vehicle on the standard production line, with the exception of the drive components and the lithium-ion battery. The units will then be transferred to a specially equipped manufacturing facility situated on BMW plant premises where the electric motor, battery units, performance electronics and transmission will be integrated.