TTL - The Tech Link Blog

MINI E

BMW released some information about their upcoming all-electric vehicle, the MINI E.

The car will only be available as a one-year lease from BMW. You will be able to register on MiniUSA’s web site (link bellow) in mid-November 2008. Only 500 lucky drivers will qualify for the “test lease”.

This car will rely solely on electric power. The MINI E will be equipped with a large battery pack that promises a 150 mile range on a single charge that should take approximately 2½ hours. Performance should be similar to the current Mini lineup with a 0-60 speed of 8.5 seconds.

Due to the size of the battery pack, the new MINI E will be a two-seater only (not that the rear seats on the normal version were of any real use!).

This is a first step for BMW in the all-electric vehicle market and they are advertising it as a “test”. From MiniUSA’s web site: “In this limited introduction, we will be seeking up to 500 pioneers to lease the MINI E for a one-year period and provide feedback to our research team. In turn, this critical learning about the MINI E’s performance in real-world settings will help inform BMW Group’s future engineering of alternative drivetrain vehicles viable for mass-production.”

MiniUSA
The Register Hardware UK

Ford MyKey

Some 2010 Ford models will be offered to customers with a key for their teenagers that will allow them to limit the speed of the vehicle when they are driving it.

The first cars equipped with this technology will see the day in the summer of 2009. In addition to limiting the maximum speed of the vehicle, parents will be able to set the maximum sound system volume and set an alarm when the seat belts are not buckled up.

autoblog

Lotus-based Dodge EV Coupe

Chrysler announced yesterday that they have been planning an electric vehicule lineup launch even before the buyout that they went through.

Nobody knew about this because it was kept secret until now. Since GM is pushing hard on their flagship Volt product, it’s normal that Chrysler had to reply with something else! Chrysler says that it will have 3 EVs running by 2011 with the first model to be shipped at your local dealers by the end of 2010.

WIRED
The Wall Street Journal
Carscoop 1 | Carscoop 2 | Carscoop 3

Chevy Volt

Directly from the same company (GM) that ”killed the electric car” 15 years ago, comes the production version of the Chevrolet Volt.

I hope it’s going to be priced right and if it is, I’m getting one
autoblog