LA Auto Show: MINI-E World Premiere

[SVOboy]

Here it is.

[tasdrouille]

A $50k, 150 miles puppy...ouch.

[SVOboy]

My write up: EcoGeek - Clean Technology

Was sposed to drive it but I got screwed over in a series of very annoying circumstances.

[cfg83]

tasdrouille -

Originally Posted by tasdrouille

A $50k, 150 miles puppy...ouch.

I think I will call it the Mini-Tesla and wait for Moore's Law to lend a helping hand on the battery front ...

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

Also: you can't buy one. So is it really a $50k vehicle?

[cfg83]

Hello -

I went to look at the cost of being a "field trial" driver. $850 per month, .

CarloSW2

[SuperTrooper]

Does it use a special dedicated charger? So you can't just plug in anywhere?

[SVOboy]

It does. Mini is being very secretive about things like deals with governments about charging infrastructure. I think the lease models will come with normal 110/220v plugs though

[captainslug]

Not interested if I can't buy it. There are a handful of electric vehicles coming out in the next 2 years that you can actually PURCHASE for under $30,000 instead of simply leasing them.

[SVOboy]

Yeah, but they're not going to be as powerful/long-range, likely. And they're not made by a major manufacturer, which means they won't achieve the same economies of scale as this when it goes into full production for 2010.