The MINI E may well be the car that saves the world. It is currently at COP17 – the world’s climate change conference currently underway in Durban. This is quite a special little toy. Let me tell you a bit about it.

According to plugincars.com, the 2010 Mini E – an all-electric version of the Mini Cooper – is capable of more than 100 miles on a charge, and boasts a 0 to 60 mph time of 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 95 miles per hour. These numbers fall short of specs for the standard MINI Cooper, but the Mini E will grant performance – especially acceleration from zero – much better than virtually all compacts or subcompacts currently on the road today.

They’ve been testing these puppies for the last two years. BMWblog.com had this to say:

In 2009, BMW launched their first electric vehicles trial in the United States. More than 1,800 people and organizations applied to be part of the field trial of 450 MINI Es. From that, 450 were selected based on specific criteria that included the amount and type of use in which they would engage, home suitability to installation of a fast charging system and desire to be engaged in a field trial that requires continual feedback.

Nearly two years later, the MINI E adventure is approaching the finish line. MINI E drivers provide ongoing feedback that has already proven invaluable to the development work being done by the BMW for the upcoming i3 electric vehicle and the 2012 ActiveE.

[more here]

Read more about the MINI E field trial at MINIUSA here.

When you’re done with that and you want to see the new 2011 MINI Coupe 2-seater which will blow your head clean off your shoulders, check out mini.co.za