|
Ian Robertson, Sales
and Marketing Director of BMW Group AG, today joined Business Secretary
Peter Mandelson and Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon in Scotland as they
launched the Government’s vision for ultra-low carbon transport in the
UK.
Both ministers
drove a MINI E electric car at the event as they announced plans to
support motorists by providing help worth £2000-£5000 towards buying
their first electric or plug-in hybrid car when they hit the showrooms.
BMW Group has
announced that MINI E will go on a twelve-month field trial in Germany
and the USA this year, to evaluate the technical and social aspects of
living with an all-electric vehicle in a real world environment and
plans to include the UK in this programme.
Ian Robertson said,
“We believe the MINI E is an excellent vehicle for trialling this
alternative form of sustainable mobility. And what better time to do
this than in the year we celebrate the 50th birthday of MINI. We look
forward to extending our German and American trials to the UK.
BMW Group recently
applied to the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board in response to
a funding competition announced in December 2008. Proposals were
invited for innovative, industry-led collaborative research projects
involving ultra-low carbon vehicles.
The UK trial would
bring together central and regional government departments, regional
development organisations, energy infrastructure providers and academic
partners. The common objective is to develop ultra-low carbon vehicles
that customers want to buy – and bring them to market as rapidly as
possible.
The MINI E’s
electric drive train produces a peak torque of 220 Nm, and power is
delivered to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox. This
unique engine and transmission arrangement powers the MINI E seamlessly
to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed
of 95 mph.
Based on the
current MINI Hatch, the car is available as a two-seater. The space
normally inhabited by rear passengers is reserved for a lithium-ion
battery.
When in use in the
zero-emissions MINI E, the battery unit combines high output with ample
storage capacity and remarkable power output. 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.
The energy storage
unit’s components are based on technologies proven in power supply units
for mobile phones and portable computers. The MINI E’s lithium-ion
battery can be plugged into all standard power outlets. Its charge time
is strongly dependent on the voltage and amperage of the electricity
flowing through the grid. As with existing research projects in the USA
and Berlin, users can recharge a battery that has been completely
drained within a very short period of time using a wallbox that will be
supplied as standard with every MINI E. With 240V/32A, charging time for
the car will be around four hours. There is also an intention to
establish a network of public charging stations.
The wallbox will be
installed in the customer’s garage, enable higher amperage, and thus
ensure extremely short charging times. Wallboxes fully recharge
batteries in just two-and-a-half hours. Only lockable garages or
similar buildings will qualify as suitable power stations for the MINI
E.
|
