FOXNews (December 18, 2008)
'Everybody knows' what an electric car is, right? - a golf cart with extra batteries and a vehicle license.
(from "Elton Baum and His 'Green' Golf Cart
(Loonfoot Falls Chronicle-Gazette (June 20, 2008))
This electric car is no souped-up golf cart.
" If you're doing some last minute Christmas shopping and looking for an unusual gift, might I suggest a battery-powered MINI?
"OK, given the preponderance of toy versions of the toy-like subcompact, that probably doesn’t sound like a very original idea, but I’m talking about one that you can actually drive, and not with a remote control. Not yet, at least.
"The MINI-E is the first all-electric version of the cheeky little runabout that’s been filling in those hard to fit parking spots in American...."
(from FOXNews, used without permission)
Sounds good: the MINI's
- Electric, so it's green - very important these days
- Really small and/or maneuverable, so it can fit into tight parking spots
- Probably does 0-25 in about ten minutes, and won't go any faster
"...Unlike those odd-looking neighborhood electric vehicles that struggle to do 25 mph, the MINI-E has a governed top speed of 95 miles per hour courtesy of a 204 horsepower electric motor supplied by California-based electric car conversion company, AC Propulsion. With a 35 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery pack taking up the space where the rear seat usually is, it also accelerates as quickly as a gasoline powered MINI Cooper despite weighing nearly 600 pounds more...."
"MINI" - Ain't That Wun O Them Furrin Vee-Hicles?
Yes and no. The MINI is one of BMW's car lines, and (as of last year) the MINI-E chassis comes from a BMW assembly line in Oxford, England. And, MINIs are sold all over the world: The MINI international website helps people find a dealership in their area, and has a a rather fun interactive graphic on another page.On the other hand, an American MINI-E is built by Nevada's Hybrid Technologies, using Hybrid Technologies' "advanced lithium management and battery-balancing system". There's more at "All-lithium electric Mini Cooper enters production." (MotorAuthority (July 11 2007))
So: this electric car has a British rolling chassis and a Nevada power plant. The two are brought together in by the Nevada company at it's Mooresville plant in North Carolina.
The last I heard, Nevada and North Carolina were part of America, so I'd say this is a mostly-American car. The parts that make it go, and what you see is assembled in America, anyway.
Which brings up an interesting point: Why hadn't Ford, GMC, or Chrysler started making something like the MINI-E several years ago? The technology has been here, and the Nevada-designed power plant can be shipped to Detroit as easily as Mooresville, North Carolina.
As I said in another blog, "maybe it's time for GMC, Ford, and Chrysler executives to get their golden parachutes, consign some of the existing products to automotive museums, and make room for people who have plans that will work in the 21st century...." (Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (December 12, 2008))
The MINI-E: Cool, Fast, Green, and Just the Start
The MINI-E could be the start of a new, and functional, American auto industry: The MINI-E's 0-60 in six seconds isn't all that bad, it'll go a manageable distance between charges, and it looks like a practical city car.There's no reason that I read about, why Hybrid Technologies couldn't make electric SUVs, mini-vans, tow trucks, or any other sort of road - or off-road - vehicle that's on the market. The way I see it, the old, established, Big Three automakers can start making vehicles with today's technology, or get out of the way and let someone else get the job done.
Okay, I'm off my soapbox. For now.
Related posts:
- "Big Three Automakers Going Bankrupt: Is it Really a Problem?"
(December 12, 2008) - "So Big Three Collapse: Is That a Problem?"
Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind
(December 12, 2008)
2 comments:
Yes I think that the MINI car would be a perfect fit for a electric car, considering all those advantages such as the speed it gives. So would be a really great idea!
Electric Car Conversion Kits,
I see that you may have a slight bias ;) - but thanks for the comment. And, again, I think that available technology has gotten to the point where the electric car and truck are practical, reasonable, products.
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