Mini Set to Name First Lessees for EV

NEW YORK – The first group of consumers allowed to lease Mini’s new electric vehicle will be named next month, says Jim McDowell, chief of BMW of North America LLC’s Mini Div. in the U.S.

Mini is looking for “true pioneers” to drive the EVs, says a spokeswoman.

The lessees will be culled from a list of 1,800 applicants who applied on line. In March, 250 customers will be selected in the Los Angeles area, while 200 others will be chosen in the metro New York area in April.

Mini will lease the EVs to persons who have locked garages, in which the auto maker will install a 220-volt, 60-amp wall box charging unit.

The EV will have a cruising range of 165 miles (267 km) and its lithium-ion battery pack, which will be sourced from AC Propulsion Inc., can be recharged in 2.5 hours.

A backup cable enabling the pack to be recharged from a 110-volt power source will come with the EV, but recharging on the smaller-capacity line will take approximately 24 hours, Mini says.

L.A.-area residents get first crack at Mini EV in March.

Customers selected will be awarded 1-year leases for $850 per month. At the end of the lease, vehicles must be turned in for evaluation by Mini engineers.

Meanwhile, McDowell says Mini “will have a good chance to equal 2008 sales this year.”

Deliveries soared 28.6% in the U.S. in 2008 to 54,077 units, but McDowell doesn’t expect a similar gain this year.

Hardtops account for 80% of Mini sales, with the rest the newer Clubman model. McDowell believes that ratio will hold this year.

“The Clubman attracts some people who would otherwise reject Mini,” he says.