BMW says it is loaning 10 Mini E electric cars to the City of New York to be used as in New York’s Street Condition Observation Unit (SCOUT), which prowls the city in search of graffiti and potholes. The 10 Mini Es are part of the 500 the automaker is bringing to the United States as part of a research and development trial run.
Of the 500 vehicles being brought over, 450 will be leased – at $800 a month – in the New York/New Jersey and Southern California markets. The other 50 will be used for publicity programs like the SCOUT initiative in New York City.
Not only is BMW hoping to get the word out about the all-electric Mini, it’s also hoping to collect real-world use data in a variety of conditions. The automaker hopes to take the lessons learned with this effort and apply it towards larger, more functional cars; the Mini E’s battery pack takes up most of its back seat and trunk areas, severely limiting its usefulness.
Leftlane recently had a chance to test the electric Mini E at the Los Angeles Auto Show and we were impressed with the little car’s get-up-and-go, as well as its refinement.
