The Mini Cooper

The Mini does not require a formal introduction. To protect the integrity of our discussion, we will be considering the Mini E in the rest of the sections. The E stands for electric; we will be dealing with the electric versions of Mini Cooper.

The new Mini E car boasts of many advantages. This is an all-electric vehicle powered by lithium ion battery packs. Gone are those days when you had to queue up in front of the gas station. With the new Mini E, you just have to connect the terminals to the household electrical outlets. Let it recharge for some hours and you can take the car out for a spin.

The pure electric design is highly advantageous if you ask me. The Mini E comes with power packed acceleration levels. See the others' struggle with their car's speeds when you quietly yet efficiently overtake them. Like they say, silence is deadly - the Mini Cooper E is highly silent due to its electric motor system. The manufacturers have undertaken a special care to keep the vehicle's weight balance ratio at 50/50. This when coupled with a fine-tuned suspension works out miracles! The car has become quite efficient more efficient, it also helps in cutting all kinds of corners at moderate speeds.

The electric motor is connected to the front wheels. It develops approximately 200hp. Raw power coupled to the wheels will propel the car to never before seen speeds just like that. The car can travel 236 kilometers on a single recharge. This distance is often seen as a variable as the net farness covered will depend upon various factors such as the number of occupants within the vehicle and the mode of driving.

A minor niggle found with the Mini E is the lack of space for a third traveler. The battery packs are arranged towards the rear end and this takes up the space that was previously used to house additional occupants. The Mini E was the first vehicle to be "rented" out to the effective owners. After making a monthly payment, the owners could use the car as they preferred.

We have already discussed the positive effects of regenerative braking. One can find the same technology within the Mini E. The vehicle will be in motion only when the owner is pressing the gas pedal. Upon taking the foot off it, the vehicle will start "downshifting" - effectively it is braking. A portion of the degenerative force developed will also be conveyed to recharge the vehicle's batteries.

One of the disadvantages of an all-electric car is the disability to gauge the distance that the vehicle will be able to travel at any given point of time. Yes, we have access to the official figures. This can vary largely due to many reasons. Although there are systems within the vehicle that continuously monitors the status of every battery cell, we cannot take it for granted. If you are able to overlook this aspect, maybe you should sign up as a Mini E field trial participant.