BMW to Make Electric Mini. Only in California. Only 500 of Them.
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 07.11.08
Electric Mini Cooper: Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Following VW's announcement that it would make a limited number of its 1-Liter 282 MPG car, BMW says that it will build 500 electric Mini Coopers for the Californian market. Now the optimist might say: "That's great! They're more likely to go from limited to full production than from nothing to production!". The pessimist is probably thinking: "Ok, California has a mandate for automakers to make 7,500 zero-emissions cars by 2014. That's probably why we're seeing the Honda FCX hydrogen car in that state, and now BMW will pull a GM EV1 on us."
Strong Demand for Electric Cars
Our 2 years old post about an unofficial electric Mini that could do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds is still getting traffic, so that's probably a sign that there's interest. And with small cars selling like hotcakes, hybrid supply not meeting demand, and rising fuel costs, we're sure that if BMW wanted to be bold and make more than a handful of token electric cars, it would be a big hit.
Electric Mini: Small Scale Production
BMW has its Oxford, UK, plant building Minis without engines, transmissions or fuel tanks, and then ships them to Munich where the electric drivetrains are installed.
"BMW sources told Automotive News Europe that 490 of the Minis will be leased to selected customers in California and 10 will be used as show cars."
Dr. Norbert Reithofer, chairman of BMW AG said:
With this step, the BMW Group wants to gain initial findings as to how mobility from purely electric-powered vehicles can be designed efficiently.
That's certainly not a promise to commercialize electric Minis, though pressure from other automakers who have announced electric cars will probably force BMW to react.
Interested in electric cars? Check out: 17 Electric Cars You Must Know About
Electric Cars
i MiEV Electric Car to be Sold 1 Year Ahead of Schedule in Japan
Ghosn: Nissan to Introduce Electric Car in 2010, Mass-Production in 2012
Tesla's Next Electric Car to be Called "Model S", New Factory to Open in North California
Introducing the BYD E6 Electric Car
More on BMW's Electric Mini for California
BMW builds electric Mini for California
BMW's Building an Electric Mini. You Can't Have One.
California Air Resources Board Votes to Modify ZEV Program in Short-Term; Complete Overhaul to Begin for New ZEV II
BMW to Lease 490 All-electric Minis to Californians
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Hawaii To Be First With Statewide Electric Car Charging Stations
- Electric Mini Field Trial Applications Open: 500 People Will Participate
- What's the Future for the Plug-in Electric Car? LA Auto Show Offers a Glimpse
- SF Bay Area Will be Electric Vehicle Capital of US: Better Place, Coulomb Technologies Expanding EV Infrastructure
Dammit, I want one. Only 500? How many people live in California? That's a joke.
That IS a joke. What's worse is that, just like the EV1, the cars will probably go to celebrities and the rich, the "select" in the statement, just for PR purposes. Poopoo to you BMW.
You guys are rough...
You: We want an electric car.
Big Auto: No one will buy an electric car
You: We will!
Big Auto: I donno...
You: Build it and we will buy one!
Big Auto: Ok, here's 500 of them to show we can do it.
You: You suck, big auto!
WTF?
Us peons can continue to ride bikes, which are still much better for the old environment in every imaginable way.
Welcome to the new greenwashing..."Sure we produce an electric plug-in...but if you have to ask you can't afford it."
HG
I have been driving a MINI Cooper since 2003. I love the car and everything about it. I have been eyeing a hybrid, but have been holding out because of this very rumor, that has now been confirmed. The only bad thing is that I am not going to be one of the privileged few to get one of the 500. Why don't they get this going? Does someone know what the hold up is? People, not just me, are waiting for electric cars.
mrbell:
With only 500, in practice, nobody will be able to get them. That's basically the same as not making them if you only make so few of them and then only put them in the hands of the rich & famous & well-connected.
Why only 500? If they can make 500 why not 500,000???? I would buy one tomorrow!!!
It seems to me that the auto companies come up with great ideas and then take them away.
You guys are being dim. 500 sounds a lot like a test run to me. I agree with mrbell. If the few get rave reviews and sell ultra fast, THEN the company will see it's profitable to make more. They just want to see if it's worth it to build that extra large scale infrastructure.
I wonder what the profit is like for EVs? I mean think of how much more stuff you have to buy for an ICE? The oil changes, all the hoses and pumps and gaskets and grommets. There is a TON of stuff in those engines that are basically disposable, and doesn't the manufacturer get a piece every time you have to replace one of those things? Please correct me if I'm wrong here, and I'm certainly not justifying big auto stalling on manufacturing an EV, I'm just wondering out loud if there is no profit motive for them to do so. I'm willing to bet that the profit of a car continues long after it is sold off the lot, and it seems that an EV will have less disposable parts so that even if people buy them, the return on investment is less.
Think for a minute here.
Let's say at current costs they are selling them at a loss to gauge real world range and reliability, as well as customer interest. Is that so bad?
The EV1 was leased at a HUGE loss, so moving forward would have been financial suicide. blame GM all you want, but in business the bottom line is the bottom line.
The Tesla roadster batteries alone are pegged at $15-20k , so if this uses similar technology, this could be a $50k mini easily. How many of you are willing to put down a nonrefundable deposit on a $50k car?
Its just PR to look good. But honestly, I'd rather they didn't make electric cars. It's just going to take longer for people to realize that the problem isn't so much as what powers the car but the car itself. That and the cities and infrastructure it's created.
If you REALLY want to buy one, why not petition BMW to make more and actually PROMISE to buy one once one becomes available?
I won't be in the market for a new car for another 3-4 years but if an electric MINI were on the market and the price wasn't too high, it would certainly go on my list of hopefuls.
I certainly know they'd sell like hotcakes but...it's BMW's loss in the end. We have other options out there: electric scooters, electric motorcycles, the THINK(or TH!NK), Mitsubishi, Prius after-market conversion, and you might be able to find someone on the net who is willing to convert the car you already have into electric. Once my car is paid off, I'll be deciding on whether or not to get it converted to electric if the option and/or mechanic exists or to just buy an electric car
UGH!! I would totally buy one tomorrow too as I've been holding out hopes that Mini would make a hybrid or this!!!!
This kinda crap makes me loathe car makers. I mean seriously---only 500????? And ONLY in California!!???
Why bother telling the "regular" people of the world about your electric car if its really only available to the rich and/or famous in Cali.
Excuse me while I puke.
California, cool. Take that, Austin!
The thing that bums me out the most about this site is the constant complaining and closed minded people who leave comments here. If it does not make sense to you or work for you then shouldn't be. Is that really the way it needs to be?
Only 500 in the US, and yes, due to CARB mandates, starting in California. For those of you who don't drive MINIs (My 2004 MINI Cooper S still gets over 28 MPG average with 70% of my driving in town) and are not MINIacs, you probably don't understand the madness.
Only 2000 of the limited edition 2006 MINI Cooper S JCW GP's were made, and only about 450 were sold in the US. They were the last big JCW push before the company decided to badge their own JCW line.
The original run of the BMW 1 series using the newer MINI/PSA engine to balance performance with fuel efficiency was a run of 2000 cars, 0 of which were sold stateside (until recently, you couldn't even buy the 1 series in the US). The 1 series will now get the MINI/PSA engine, even if only on one model, and even though it will be rear wheel drive.
This run of 2009 MINI Cooper E's is produced to the magic tune of 2000, of which 500 are going to the market where it makes the most business sense, California. Not saying they wouldn't sell elsewhere, but if you're trying to pitch an idea, you want to premeire it in the market where it should shine.
BTW, the MINI Cooper E (not the official name, just a MINI owner moniker, since the turbo diesel is the MINI Cooper D) is set to go on sale to the tune of $10,000 over base price, so it will be at least $4000 more than the JCW line, coming in at over $40,000 fully decked to the 9's. Plus, an update from Forbes.com says only 490 will actually be sold in California, the other 10 will be used as Show cars.
I personally applaud the BMW/MINI family taking this step. They are already putting out base model MINIs which can easily acheive 40+ MPG Highway (I've seen guys routinely get 500+ miles on one 12.8 gallon tank of 10% Ethanol gas).
Cut them some slack. They won't help if the first offering gets their hand bit off!
I sat on a waiting list for a year to get my 2002 Mini and finally gave it up this spring (with a baby on the way, it was not a practical family car).
Practicality be damned, though, if I can get my hands on an electric Mini. I'd buy it, or better yet lease it to avoid ever having to buy a new battery.
Count me in as an optimist. I see this as a test run to determine interest. So, here's me expressing my INTENSE INTEREST!!!
I'm with Aileen "Count me in as an optimist. I see this as a test run to determine interest. So, here's me expressing my INTENSE INTEREST!!!
Also, there is a market up here for these things, we are seeing a lot of people purchasing and licensing Zap cars up here, to "be Green". Only one big problem, WA state law defines a vehilce with only 3 wheels as a "Trike" so these poor souls have to jump through hoops taking trike endorsement tests to be licensed to drive them!
My soon to be driving young son wants one of these Electric Minis in the absolute worst way, he is really hoping to see them for sale up here by the time he gets his license.... that gives you about 9 months. ;)
My wife and I have decided not to buy a car until we can get either an electric car or a car that gets 80 mpg and we don't care how long it takes, we'll just keep getting our old cars fixed and wait.
What if everyone did that?
I would love one! Please count us in!
I think it's a great idea.
And yes, you do have to think of the bottom line.
Los Angeles put in a huge infrastructure for electric cars with chargers all over town in grocery stores, malls, etc. Well, no one wanted to buy the cars and these chargers are gathering dust (oddly they're all still there).
If you read this blog, you're probably inclined to want an electric car - but we're not everyone. Mini makes an excellent high mileage car already (two of them), let's not help them go into the toilet just because we want their new cars.
Let's hope they kick ass and hustle the American car companies along.