Rolling a Reliant Robin - Top Gear - BBC
Electric Mini E Launched in the UK - with steering wheel on the wrong side.
Mini has been on a roll this year with a new concept Coupe to celebrate its 50th anniversary and the release U S highly publicized 200 Mini E electric conversions.
Now 40 Britons will be able to drive the electric Mini E, and 20 of them members of the public selected from over 500 applicants to provide BMW with real data on how drivers actually use electric cars Participants driving modes will be tracked using a data recording device.
Mini E electric vehicles - battery charge indicator shows the charge and the beach down, percent percent.
Mini E electric vehicle - start button and speedometer.
Mini E electric vehicle - Rear seat and cargo area mostly occupied by battery box.
Mini E electric vehicle - No, no motor in there.
Unfortunately, a look at the FAQ Mini E Field Trial indicates a serious failure for British drivers U K All electric Minis will be equipped with left hand drive, part of a total fleet of 500 built in batches.
BMW terse explanation cites the need to test the Mini E vehicles worldwide.
This provision only LHD echoes an earlier snub hard right markets in the setup of the Mini Clubman wagon This car has two doors on the right side, but just left.
It was designed to allow drivers unload children and goods by the Clubdoor curbside What is good in countries with left-hand drive, but lets UK homeowners Mini Clubman berthed left discharge directly into a traffic lane.
BMW said the cost of equipment to provide the arrangement in front of the U K wouldn t have been justified, and grumbling about the perceived snub followed the ancestral homeland of the Mini by its new German owners.
The UK Mini E trial begins before Christmas and lasts six months, and it is limited to the southeastern part of England, limiting the area in which new loading equipment must be installed by the partner BMW electric utility, Scottish and Southern Energy.
As the United States the company will install a charging station dedicated 32 Amps in the lockable garage of each owner a full charge, giving a range of up to 120 miles, takes about 4 string 5 hours to charge a 13 -Amp, 240 socket standard -Volt UK is also provided.
Mini E drivers pay rental fees, but won t have insurance costs, maintenance or roadside assistance or, of course, the essence They're also exempt from the London congestion charge to enter the central city, who gave up zero emission vehicles.
We were very disappointed with our test drive this spring in a Mini E if we suspect that now, BMW has improved the control software that provides power to the lithium-ion battery and electric motor braking action of the module regenerative system.
Electric Mini E Launched in UKWith wheel on the wrong side, electric, mini, launched.