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BMW’s electric Mini has been spotted tooling around the streets of Munich sans CO2 burping tailpipe and “Hybrid Erprobungsfahrzeug” (Hybrid Test Vehicle) tattooed on its back. Car magazine expects the Mini to debut in November at the Los Angeles Motor Show. This goes along the reports in March that BMW was expected to bring electric Minis in 2009. 500 of these are supposed to be produced and leased out next year, but mostly in California. The rest of us will have to wait. Just recently the Mini has really caught my eye for its sporty look and decent gas mileage. By the time I am ready to purchase a new car I hope BMW has developed more of these electric Minis and with a decent range.

Full Article: Register Hardware

BMW has announced plans to sell all-electric versions of its popular Mini car in the U.S., starting from summer 2009.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mini USA Vice President, Jim McDowell, said that the company is still deciding whether to sell or lease the vehicles. He remained tight-lipped over exactly where in the country the cars will be available, and declined to comment on other aspects, such as range, power, charging time and price.

Commenting on the trend for U.S. buyers to move towards smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, he said, “The world is moving in our direction. The overall market is down 10 percent, but small car sales are up 11 percent. People are trading in Ford F-150’s and Hummer’s for Mini’s.”

Full Article: Gas2

Well, it is a start. The original rumor was that these would only be offered in California which would be quite unfair to potential buyers from all over the country. Hopefully, they will sell these 500 quickly and send more. I’ve never been an owner of a small vechicle, but if these electric cars were more mainstream I would be very willing to give them a try. Someone has got to make the first move; it is good to see BMW stand up. The Chevy Volt and Telsa Roadster also look promising.

Tesla Motors has just announced the Model S which is a $60k all electric powered, five passenger sedan. Telsa says that the car will manage 225 miles on a single charge. They also say it will produce the vehicles in a brand new manufacturing plant it is opening in Northern California. In a separate article they have announced another car, the Elon Musk, which will be an all electric car for under $30k. They plan on having these on the road within four years.

Full Articles: Engadget & Elon Musk