Those stepping behind the wheel of a new BMW Mini E (E for electric) may feel something unexpected.
"Everyone is surprised by how fast it is," said David Roper, automotive lab technician for Cerritos College. "It's not what you'd expect from an electric car."
Cerritos College in Norwalk received two BMW Mini E concept cars this summer as part of the company's pilot program testing the new technology. BMW manufactured 450 of the electric vehicles, which are currently being tested by a handful of companies, cities and private citizens around the country.
The college will lease the cars at $20 a month until the end of next June. In return, school staffers will provide feedback on how the Minis drive in real life. BMW pays for all maintenance and car insurance.
And the ride, so far, has been fun, said Steve Berklite, dean of the Technology Department.
"Everyone loves them," he said. "They're fast and very comfortable."
Berklite, however, doesn't expect to see consumers driving the Mini E any time soon.
"An electric Mini will probably never happen," he said. "They're using the Mini to test the technology, and it's probably going to end up in some kind of mid-size vehicle."
For starters, he said, the car is not exactly practical.
The Mini E's 570-pound Lithium-ion battery pack takes up the entire back seat, leaving room for only one passenger and little trunk space. The car has a range of about 100 to 150 miles per charge, but will get less in freeway drives and hot weather.
The battery takes about three hours to charge at one of the school's two 220-volt charging stations. The car also has an emergency battery pack, which charges at about 2 percent energy per hour.
"If you're stuck somewhere you could be there for a few days," Berklite said.
The Mini E may not be practical in a large area like Los Angeles County, but it could be ideal for those eco-conscious city dwellers with no children and few groceries.
"It's perfect for city driving," Roper said. "It drives just like a regular Mini."
BMW cites a zero to 62 mile per hour time of 8.5 seconds, and a top speed of about 90 mph. Roper said he's reached about 80 mph.
The car gets about 200 horsepower, but also weighs about 3,500 pounds, he added.
If the Mini E does eventually hit the market, consumers can expect to pay a base price of around $50,000, Roper said.
Cerritos College was the only school to receive the cars because the automotive department has a close working relationship with BMW, Berklite added.
The cars are being used primarily for school business on and off campus, and all college employees must be approved by campus police to drive them.
Berklite said Mini Es are also being testing by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the city of Brea and Disneyland.
Source: presstelegram
