By Drew Johnson
Wednesday, Nov 19th, 2008 @ 6:59 pm

BMW used the LA auto show on Wednesday for the first unveiling of its MINI E electric car. The modified Cooper was previewed last month by the automaker with a series of studio shots. MINI’s range is already one of the thriftiest on the planet – with the brand’s biggest gas hog still achieving 34 mpg on the highway. But the legendary marque is preparing to one-up the competition with this new zero-emissions hatch.

The electric MINI is based on the company’s Cooper model and is intended to comply with California’s new zero-emission requirements. As such, the electric Cooper – dubbed the MINI E — will only be available to customers residing in California. 500 MINI Es are earmarked for production. Of course, if all goes well production and availability could be increased.

Power for the electric Cooper is supplied via a front-mounted electric motor, producing 201 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Those figures are good enough to keep the Cooper’s sporting nature, with a 0-62 time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 94 mph.

The E powers its electric motor with a set of lithium-ion batteries. Although the all-electric Cooper’s range is a somewhat limited 155 miles, a full charge can be had in just two and a half hours. The batteries also consume 3.5 cubic feet of the Cooper’s already limited cargo room.

All electric Coopers will be built at the company’s Oxford, England plant – sans powertrain – and then shipped to Germany to be fitted with an electric driveline.

Buyers won’t have much to choose from in customizing their electric MINIs, as all 500 Es will be painted silver. However, yellow accents and a lack of tail pipes will set the electric Coopers apart from their gasoline counterparts. Expect the MINI E to hit the California market later this year with a one year lease deal.

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