One the Mini E... The car is slow, heavy, expensive, with very limited range, and no room inside. I imagine the only people who would lease the car are people who buy the global warming hype and want to impress their fellow eco parishioners. The Mini E is a step forward towards the advancement of zero emission vehicles making it into mass production. I'd think the enviro-loons would see this as a good thing.

On the Li-Ion batteries... Supposedly, advancements in the Li-Ion arena (along with plenty of pressure from governments around the world), has given manufacturers confidence to start planning on using them in their passenger vehicles. Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, and Toyota also are using them in production vehicles.

It's exactly facepalm-worthy "trials" like this that give electric vehicles a bad name.

Until these manufacturers pull their heads out of their collective asses the idea isn't going anywhere.

I understand they're experimental and expensive to produce currently, but nobody is going to bite down those kinds of costs, especially right now. What were they thinking??

>#1, what is it about repubs and conservatives that they don't give >two shits about the planet?

It's because Republicans have become the anti-science redneck party during the last 10 years. Their about the only people who still believe global climate change is a hoax, despite the absurdly overwhelming evidence which has been accepted by the rest of the government. E.g, look at some of the CIA and Military reports on the future of war and one of the main focuses is upon climate-related conflicts regarding food, rising oceans, energy, etc. They also setback US stem-cell research so far back that we just lost the race to Britain. Combine this with stagnant funding of basic research into the physical sciences and obtrusive Visa policies that are driving away the world's best students from our Universities, and the Republicans have set back US research and technological dominance probably about 10 years.

Lets see? The average garage car jockey with the ability to plug your car in. Hmmm... Does he have you by the balls or what?

What is that going to cost? Forget about the garage hitting you up for $100 a month for the electricity. I would say the car jockey would want at least $10 to hook you up every time you used the car. Of course you could stiff him and then as you are going down Fifth Ave and the car dies, who do you call? The Mini people?

Then again if you have your own garage, but then again if you have your own garage would you really want one of these vehicles and be one of their test car guinea pigs?

What am I supposed to do -- drop an electrical extension cord from my apartment window?

I doubt my garage would let me plug-in there.

I read somewhere that Lithium Ion batteries pack more explosive punch than dynamite. So not only do you get to be a "motoring pioneer", but you get the privilege of paying an extortionate sum to be one driving a Mini Graf Zeppelin.

Also the same goes for high powered engines in race cars. Sorry for the correction but after reading your observation you confused me.

Yo Petey, I never said that batteries can't explode, I was saying their is no engine in electric cars. Motors yes, engines, no. Go back to basic auto shop and you will know there is a difference between an engine and a motor. In fact very few motors explode except in drag racing and other high powered vehicles. And before you say it, I am leaving rockets and other jet engines out of this discussion.

Hybrid cars have engines and I haven't heard that this mini is a hybrid. It appears to be a total electric car.

#1, what is it about repubs and conservatives that they don't give two shits about the planet?

ps. at 850 a month I'll choose a giant gas hog with like a lexis or a benz large SUV

if its free - then its for me - otherwise I'll pass!!!!

@6

Electric motors don't explode, but the batteries feeding the electric motor (unless the car has a pantograph/third rail shoe) sure as hell can explode, to talk to Sony about their laptop batteries. Lithium burns like a rocket, no amount of water will put the fire out, actually, water will just make it burn fiercer. Lithium doesn't burn using oxygen in the air, it burns using moisture in the air, or liquid water. Try putting it out with a fire hose or dry chemical extinguisher :-)

BabyHitler I don't think this thing has an engine. It has an electrical motor. There is a slight difference. Electric motors might overheat and burn but they usually don't explode.

WOW! This sounds like a great idea. Lets see. $850 a month times twelve months. Wait a minute here. Plus a Manhattan garage, at about $580 a month, plus insurance lets say $2,300 a year, plus rewiring your garage or house so you can plug this vehicle into, another $3,500, and the cost of electricity to power this eco car $100 a month. Comes to, without taxes, about $24,000 a year or $2,000 a month and you don't own shit after the whole thing is finished.

Way to save the planet Mini!

WTF?

What kind of deal is that? at the very least they should be calling for donor/volunteers and be honest about it.

Way cooler looking than a prius

I read some of the fine print: ENGINE MAY SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST AND INCINERATE DRIVER, OWNER'S ESTATE MUST PAY BACK CAR'S COST.

There are enough gullible minions of Al Gore who will find a way to cough up the cash. Besides, how can anybody be so cheap when it's to save the planet?! How dare anyone think of the money.