I Sing the Mini Electric

BMW announces the release of 500 Mini Cooper Electric cars for lease in 2009. While only 500 lucky people will get to cruise back and forth from work in one, the rest of the United States will get to enjoy 100 years of the perfected art of the internal combustion engine. You know, like being able to accelerate faster than a slug, wonderful torque, horsepower, mellow exhaust notes, gas prices, air pollution…

Wait a second, the new Mini has 204 horsepower, produces 162 ft-lbs of torque at 1 rpm, is completely silent, never needs gasoline and never pollutes. That’s more horsepower and torque than either of my cars. If I’m keeping score, that is like the Mini E-4 and my compact cars-0.

What’s this? The new Mini is capable of a governed 95 MPH and 150 mile range on a single charge. AHA! That would be one for my cars. I have better range and I can go faster.

Guess what else the Mini can do? It can be charged in very same electrical socket you used to make those blended frozen margaritas the night before and it only takes about two and a half hours using the quick charger. That means you can watch your Football game and by the end go for a 150 mile test drive to your favorite club, bar, or grocery store. I guess that’s another point for the Mini.

Wow, it looks like my cars are taking a beating. What else did BMW say? Oh right, the Mini is another 600 lbs heavier than the gasoline Mini and is limited to only two passengers due to the giant battery box where the rear seat used to be. That two points for my cars. In at least one of my cars I can cram four people into it… barely, but it still counts.

To be honest, I can’t wait to see what is going to happen with electric vehicles in the next few years and I think it’s awesome to see a vehicle that could be used in most peoples lives on a daily basis. Now, you’ll still need a vehicle equipped with a combustion engine for those long hauls across the country or better yet the race track, but not for that boring drive to work.

The final score at the end of this is… The Mini E-5 and my cars-3… Dang, my cars suck.