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The Mini E is powered by an electric drivetrain with an output of 150kW (which equates to 198bhp) that drives the front wheels and is mated to an automatic transmission with one gear. This engine draws its power from an array of 5,088 lithium ion battery cells grouped into 48 modules, which transmits energy to the motor as direct current at 380 volts. The maximum capacity of the battery is 35 kilowatt hours (kWh), which translates into a range of 100-120 miles – although Mini says that it has achieved 156 miles under optimal conditions. Charging takes four-and-a-half hours with the 32 Amp equipment that will be supplied, or 10.5 hours from a standard domestic 13 Amp supply. Torque output is an important consideration with electric motors, and the Mini produces 162lb-ft from 0rpm. What this means, in effect, is that maximum torque is available at all times, pulling the car along to great effect: the official 0-62mph time is 8.5 seconds and it certainly feels that quick. When you’re driving along and apply more pressure to the accelerator, the pick-up is impressive and instant. What’s most interesting about driving the Mini E, though, is that once you take your foot off the accelerator, the regenerative engine braking kicks in, which means that the energy that is normally lost when braking is captured and used by the engine. So unlike a ‘normal’ car, if you take your foot off the throttle, it starts to slow down palpably and immediately. This effect feels very odd at first, but you quickly get the hang of it and soon start to drive differently, largely using just the one pedal. If you drive with plenty of anticipation, you only use the brake very rarely. It’s actually very enjoyable and anything that fosters a smooth driving style is to be applauded in our book.

Mini hasn’t made any changes to the car’s go kart-like driving dynamics that we all know and love. Apart from the replacement of the combustion engine and fuel tank by an electric motor and battery, the Mini is, largely, the same car. However, placing the 260kg battery in place of the rear seats does have an effect on the Mini: when you accelerate hard, the car goes light at the front, as the weight of the battery, combined with the natural effect of a car under acceleration pushes the back of the car downwards and lifts the front up. It means that the front wheels, which are the driven wheels, can scrabble for grip when you’re speeding up, as they don’t have enough contact with the ground, which isn’t ideal as they’re also being used for steering. However, you again soon learn that hard acceleration isn’t a good idea and try to drive more smoothly. In terms of the ride, it’s almost identical to the standard Mini Cooper, being fairly comfortable and compliant, soaking up the bumps and surface imperfections.

The Mini E is essentially the same car as the standard Mini (but without the internal combustion engine) and is built on the same production line in Oxford. As such, we expect the quality and reliability of the Mini E to match that of its mass-market sibling: the current model was placed third in the supermini league table in the most recent JD Power customer satisfaction survey, and 24th overall, which is highly creditable. The Mini brand was an impressive equal-sixth in the table of manufacturers. However, as the Mini E is a prototype and contains a lot of technology that is, by its very nature, untested, so we can’t vouch for the reliability. We would imagine that its BMW engineering provenance would ensure that everything works as it should, though: it will also benefit from regular servicing during the period that it is tested by private lessors (it’s only available on a lease), so any problems should be fixed pretty quickly.

The Mini, as a mass-produced car, has already undergone all the necessary evaluation with Euro NCAP that always accompanies new product launches. As a result, the Mini E retains a five-star rating for crash tests. In addition, the Mini E’s energy storage unit emerged unscathed from the crash tests conducted to US standards, which are particularly high. The lithium-ion batteries are securely sealed and all the high power circuits have been marked, colour-coded and posted with warnings of their presence. In terms of active and passive safety measures, the Mini E includes the same features as the standard car, such as curtain head airbags, front airbags, twin side airbags and electronic safety systems such as Dynamic Stability Control. Security shouldn’t be a problem with the Mini E, as the drivers who run the car need a garage or off-street parking to qualify for the project and, with a range of only 100-120 miles, potential thieves can’t get that far.

This is the one area where the Mini E doesn’t do so well, but as it’s a prototype developed to test a brand new type of powertrain, spaciousness is not a primary concern. The major difference between this car and its mass-produced, internal combustion-engined sibling is the fact that it has no rear seats, making it a two-seater. The array of lithium-ion batteries takes up most of the rear, including most of the boot, so it’s not going to be the ideal family car. However, we envisage that when BMW and/or Mini build an electric car from the ground up in the next few years, it will be more practical and have four or five seats. The main practical disadvantage with an electric car is the recharging. With a range of 100-120 miles, the Mini E will need regular recharging, probably every day. For that reason, the private users who will run this car for the test period will have a 32 Amp charging point fitted in their garage or to the outside of their house.

Ownership isn’t possible with the Mini E: as a prototype, it’s only available on a lease basis to drivers who have to apply to take part in an evaluation project. These private users – 20 for the first six months, with another 20 for the second half-year – have to live in a strictly defined geographical area in the south-east of England, which is within the area where Scottish and Southern Electric (a partner in the project) supplies the power infrastructure for charging. Drivers who wish to participate in the project also have to be willing to cooperate fully with the researchers attached to the project, spending time filling out travel logs and answering questionnaires. They’ll also have to pay a lease fee of £330 a month for the privilege, but when you consider that fully charging the car using off-peak electricity (overnight, when it’s parked outside the house) will only cost £1.50 and there will be no petrol costs for six months, it seems a pretty good deal. And you also get the warm glow from knowing that you’ll be an environmental pioneer, helping to push the boundaries in the quest for emissions-free motoring. It’ll certainly be something to tell the grandkids in 50 years’ time, when everyone’s driving electric cars.

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