A leasing program of 450 Mini E model cars is set to begin in the US.
Over the next few weeks a select number of customers in New Jersey, New York and California will take delivery of a fully electric version of the Mini Coupe as part of a trial program.
According to the LA Times, the lucky few will pay $850 a month to lease the new electric car, which due to the size of its battery, is only a two-seater vehicle.
The cost of the lease may be high, but that doesn’t seem to deter one of the first to try the new electric car, Nick Howell who told the publication: “I’m just excited to get a real car that is only powered by electricity.”
With a driving range of around 150 miles, the Mini E’s lithium ion batteries achieve
62 mph in 8.5 seconds to an electronically-limited top speed of 95 mph. At a high voltage 240v charge, the Mini E takes just 4.4 hours to charge.
A trail here in the UK is also planned. Production of 40 cars for the UK trial will take place shortly at the company’s Oxford and Munich sites and is scheduled for completion before October 2009.
Read the LA Times article
