The LA Auto Show continues to stay in the front as one of North America’s premier events with several manufacturers unveiling concept cars and new product offerings. LA has even caught the attention of several European car manufacturers from VW, Audi, BMW and more. Arguably, Los Angeles is a “driving” city with nonstop traffic mixed with city and highway roads.

With this in mind, Mini debuted its first electric car called the Mini E which will begin selling in Los Angeles by the end of the year. Mini has prepared 500 of these electric hatchbacks which will be available to select public for purchasing. There’s already a waiting list of 10000+ people but Mini will be hand-selecting customers from the list. To get on it, visit www.miniusa.com.
Equipped with an electric motor equivalent to 204hp, the Mini E will give city drivers an energy efficient drive, plus plenty of power to get the car moving. The technology uses lithium-ion batteries which transfer power to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox. Top speed is limited to 95mph and its 0-62mph acceleration is measured generously at 8.5sec. Battery life should last 150 miles.
Unfortunately, the battery takes up most of the vehicles storage space and weight as 5088 cells are required to fill the 48 modules. But the entire system can be recharged at your home or office in a mere 2.5 hours through a plug where the fuel door would normally be. There’s a catch though; in order to properly recharge a Mini E, your home or office has to have compatibility with the electrical system. This is one of the reasons why Los Angeles was chosen as the flagship city of Mini E because the power companies have properly outfitted the city. There are plans to launch the Mini E in New York and New Jersey in the near future.
Stay tuned with eurotuner to find out more information. The car isn’t on the road yet but once it does, we’ll strive to give you the one of the first driving impressions of the new electric Euro.