What is Digg?94 Comments
- inactive, on 10/18/2008, -1/+32204hp too, not too shabby. I really hope more manufacturers jump on this bandwagon.
- synthaxx, on 10/19/2008, -0/+27Can't wait for these to be leased to willing drivers who will enjoy them tremendously, after which they'll be crushed into little blocks in a litany of outrage, only to be remembered when someone makes it into a documentary.
Then after 10 years we can do it all over again. - nichesiteexpert, on 10/18/2008, -0/+16sweet, I subbed this yesterday from caranddriver.com - hope this one makes FP
- Jareth86, on 10/19/2008, -0/+13Only 500? What the *****?
- samard2002, on 10/19/2008, -0/+12It's too bad we can't drive articles about electric cars, because there's a lot more them than there are actual vehicles.
- Brian48216, on 10/19/2008, -1/+11SON OF A BITCH I JUST ORDERED A REGULAR MINI.
- Dagreenman, on 10/19/2008, -1/+8the worlds most expensive go-kart goes electric.
BTW, the go-kart comparison is a good thing. Minis are fun to drive. - YancyFryJr, on 10/19/2008, -0/+6I, for one, am exited for the newfangled electric cars that are going to be released in 2018, and their eventual destruction, remembrance, etc.
- Canadaa, on 10/19/2008, -0/+6finally one of these that actually looks like it will be real within a year or 2 - i'm tired of hearing about them and never seeing them
- TheMachine1, on 10/19/2008, -0/+5Buy your own solar panels then.
- Schralpy, on 10/18/2008, -0/+5Hoo and ray. Good for the environment and to look at. Finally!
Here's better photos and photo interface than the dugg article:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/autoshows/losang ... - mAineAc, on 10/19/2008, -0/+5just hype from the oil companies. It is highly unlikely you would have to increase your current infrastructure. There are also alternatives that can be put in place that will not put such a load on your current infrastructure. People can put the receptacles that the car is plugged into on a timer that allows this to be charged at a low usage time of the day for instance.
- dicketj8050, on 10/18/2008, -0/+4Awesome! now I can make an electric Italian Job!
- frazw, on 10/19/2008, -2/+6Over the whole lifetime of the car?
Containment and treatment of pollution for a factory is much easier than for the millions of cars on the road - HappyScrappy, on 10/19/2008, -0/+4They're losing an assload of cash on each one. The battery pack alone is worth about $35,000.
Why do you think they aren't selling any? They're only leasing them so they don't have to put the losses for selling them below cost on their books. - burritocmdr, on 10/19/2008, -0/+4Throwing some solar panels on your roof would likely cover the energy required to charge these things.
- willrs, on 10/19/2008, -0/+4your thinking is hindering the possibilities, if we just get enough of these types of cars on the roads, we will then have the support to fund research on how to deal with the batteries.
- LanceUppercut, on 10/19/2008, -1/+5Great comment.
- inactive, on 10/19/2008, -0/+4They actually used some electric mini's in that movie - They had to for the scene when they drive down the stairs into the subway system because they weren't allowed to leave any exhaust stuck underground.
- Canadaa, on 10/19/2008, -0/+4"The Mini E will have a range of about 150 miles"
open your eyes heh :P - JcbAzPx, on 10/19/2008, -0/+3If they really live more than 75 miles from work, they might want to rethink their living situation.
- Jdshald, on 10/19/2008, -0/+3i really like these cars and now i like them even more!
- explnx, on 04/27/2009, -0/+3BMW doesn't strike me as the type of company to do that.
- TheMachine1, on 10/19/2008, -2/+5"will initially be offered to select private and corporate customers in California, New York and New Jersey"
Rich Hollywood actors will buy them to show how green they are when they are not flying around the world on private jets. - mattycoze, on 10/19/2008, -0/+3They actually had to use an electric mini in a few stunts that movie... like when they went down into the train station stair case in a pursuit scene... I was watching their directors cut videos on the DVD and they had to do this because of concerns of a potential fuel leak that could lead to a fire. Though I still wonder how they got around the problem of a battery acid leak...
- apeweek, on 10/19/2008, -1/+4So called "battery pollution" is just oil-industry spin nonsense. Provide a citation if you want us to believe this.
Here's a reference about batteries and the environment, from http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-20.htm
" In the USA, 98% of all lead-acid batteries are recycled. "
" Although nickel-metal-hydride is considered environmentally friendly, this chemistry is also being recycled. "
" Lithium-ion batteries used for cell phones and laptops do not contain metallic lithium and the disposal problem does not exist." - Lewie, on 10/19/2008, -0/+3Horsepower is (Torque*RPM)/5252. Technically that could be said of any engine. HP and Torque can be converted either way as long as you know the RPM. An internal combustion engine doesn't "produce" horsepower either, since it's a twisting force. It's just translated into HP at speed. You calculate torque like you do with any engine, strap a gauge on it!
Or if you want some math: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque#Relationship_b ... - fooljoe, on 10/19/2008, -1/+4well done sir
- munkeypantsman, on 10/19/2008, -0/+3Yes they still require a power plant somewhere to make the electricity, but power plants can make it in bulk. There's still pollution, but if every car were electric, it's ultimately less pollution than having all those cars burning gas all the time.
- willrs, on 10/19/2008, -0/+3brian just go to a bmw dealership, they always have an assload sitting on the lot.
- caplanepourmoi, on 10/19/2008, -3/+6And if you fart a lot after starting the engine you can make it to 62mph in 8.4 sec ...
I am sick of those news with electric/air/gas/sun powered cars will soon be in sale somewhere for a small price and consume next to nothing, publish the new only when the car *IS* on sale ! - GawtMilk, on 10/19/2008, -1/+3Actually they had to use electric minis in a few movies in that stunt. Like when they went upstairs into the train station stair case in a scene pursuit. I was directing their watch commentaries on the CD-ROM and they had to fire the potential concerns because of a battery leak that could lead to a because. Though I still wonder how the problem of a fire got around the leak.
- fprintf, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2You will enjoy it. We have owned a Mini Cooper S since 2003. Knock on wood, but it has been a fantastic car. Quick, handles really well, and so far has been rock steady reliable (69000 miles).
I don't get all the people that say that a Mini is a gay-guy or chick car only. They said that about my Miata also. It is a good thing to be confident in one's sexuality and able to appreciate a fine handling, if a bit quirky vehicle. Now I agree with them about VW New Beetles tho... :-) - willrs, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2they should have just made the clubmans electric and put the batteries in the boot.
- fprintf, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2Just because it doesn't work for you doesn't mean it can't work for hundred of thousands of other people. I used to drive 30 miles each way to work. This vehicle would be perfect for such a task, if I was in the market for a new car. Right now I drive 6 miles each way to a bus stop, and then take the bus another 25 miles into the city... in the U.S.A in a not-particularly-commuter-friendly city.
- willrs, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2im probably missing something but im going to digg you up anyway.
- ArthurSucks, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2They will be missed.
- apeweek, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2When the li-ion batteries reach end-of-life, they are recycled. (But Li-ions are not particularly harmful environmentally, anyway.)
Electric vehicles have much more efficient drive systems, and the fuel distribution is more efficient, too (compare charging via wire at 95% efficiency to the trucks that must deliver gasoline to thousands of service stations.)
More miles on less energy means less pollution, no matter what gets burned.
Coal burning plants are not as much of an issue as you may think. Old coal plants are too hard to start, stop, and regulate, so they are base-load. This means they run all the time, EVs or no EVs. If we have to build new coal plants, that's great too, because new designs for coal plants are far more efficient and cleaner. - jamaph, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2Dug. For Doug.
- inactive, on 10/19/2008, -5/+7I need more allowance!
Yo da laaay eeeeeeee
I need more allowance!
Yo da laaaaaay eeeeeeee oooo
WHY?
Because I DO! - HappyScrappy, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2Power plants are much more efficient and FAR more clean than an auto engine.
- inactive, on 10/19/2008, -1/+3I heard they actually used electric minis in that movie.
- sinembarg0, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2No, horsepower and watts measure the same thing, horsepower being the imperial unit and watts being the metric unit. 1HP = 745 watts http://www.google.com/search?&q=1HP+in+watts
http://www.google.com/search?&q=150000+watts+in+HP - apeweek, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2Coal doesn't really matter. Old coal plants are too hard to start and stop, so they run all the time, EVs or no EVs. Adding electric vehicles increases coal pollution very little.
If new coal plants are needed someday, the newest designs are up to 80% efficient, and a heck of a lot cleaner. - vpshockwave, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2For real though, they had to us electric minis in some parts of the movies. Like the time the van went down the stairs. Something about a fuel leak. I saw it in the director's cut. Also in the subway part because they couldn't let the fumes build up down there. Also when Mark Wahlberg talked to animals. He just wanted to talk to the chicken, not eat him.
- BlindDefender, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2In my opinion...
In this situation, one needs to think abstractly...
From the US perspective, the opportunity cost of replacing oil burning technology with electricity must be less than the combined cost of obtaining oil. The benefit of lowering US dependency on foreign oil should more than offset any new pollution costs. - apeweek, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2It has just occurred to me that by "transmission losses", you may mean the transmission of electricity to the car.
However, this is part of the efficiency of the fuel delivery system.
If you want to compare fuel delivery systems, the electric grid is about 95% efficient.
The comparable last step for gas autos is the delivery of gasoline to thousands of gas stations via tanker truck. Which sounds more efficient to you? - mav16, on 10/20/2008, -0/+2Cool little car.
- sinembarg0, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2Right, people usual will have a 2nd car for road trips, and use this to get to work almost everyday, because most people work within 75 miles of home, or could charge it at work. That would replace most travel with electric and hopefully be better for the environment.
- WalkAroundMe, on 10/19/2008, -0/+2So positive... what do you propose? No one here is as pretentious an ass as you. Electricity is our cleanest fuel and can be generated through solar collection. In the future we could very well see the new thin-skinned solar films covering our vehicles. Your negativity is the kind of energy that defeats the positive efforts of those in our society who aren't short-sighted as you, those who can clearly envision a cleaner future for us all. Sorry you lack the spirit that makes this life so amazing -- find a hole.
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