10/07/08

The MINI becomes electric

The Munich automaker is at the testing stage

The BMW Group is starting tests on battery powered vehicles, thus getting ready to supply the proper alternative systems of the future. Some hundreds of Mini-branded cars are being tested to face the challenge.

The cars, after being built in the Oxford plant, are installed with electric drivetrains in Munich, ready to be eventually test driven.
"This step will allow the BMW Group to gain an initial knowledge of how mobility can be achieved efficiently using purely electrically powered vehicles," Dr. Norbert Reithofer, chairman of BMW's board of management, says. "Our task here is to combine the ultimate driving experience with an efficient electrified drive with practically no emissions."
In order to improve the technology they are equipped with, the Mini cars will be undergoing tests in the next 12/18 months.