Mini E packs in the battery power

BMW Group claims that it will be the world"s first manufacturer of premium automobiles to deploy a fleet of some 500 all-electric vehicles for private use in daily traffic. The electric powered Mini E will use a 150kW (204hp) electric motor fed by a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox nearly without a sound and entirely free of emissions. Specially engineered for automobile use, the battery technology will have a range of more than 240 kilometres, or 150 miles. The Mini E will initially be made available to select private and corporate customers as part of a pilot project in the US states of California, New York and New Jersey. The possibility of offering the Mini E in Europe as well is currently being considered. The Mini E"s electric drive train produces a peak torque of 220 Newton metres, delivering seamless acceleration to 100kph (62mph) in 8.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 152kph (95mph). Featuring a suspension system tuned to match its weight distribution, the Mini E is claimed to have Mini"s hallmark agility and outstanding handling. The new Mini E is based on the current model and will initially be available as a two-seater. The space taken up by back-seat passengers in the series model has been reserved for the lithium-ion battery. When in use in the zero-emissions Mini, the battery unit combines high output with ample storage capacity and a small footprint with power ratios that are unrivalled in this field of application so far. The lithium-ion storage unit will have a maximum capacity of 35 kilowatt hours (kWh) and transmit energy to the electric motor as direct current at a nominal 380 volts. The rechargeable battery is made up of 5,088 cells grouped into 48 modules. These modules are packaged into three battery elements that are compactly arranged inside the Mini E.