I’m excited, since soon (well early next year) I’ll be able to spot the new Electric Mini in my area thanks to BMW’s test run of 500 vehicles in New York, Los Angeles and New Jersey. I've always been a huge fan of minimization and test drove the smart fortwo in April this year and loved it.
The new Mini Cooper E plug-in comes 
with an electric socket and each charge should last for 150 miles. Its 204 horsepower electric motor propels the car from zero to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds, but the top speed will be limited to about 95 mph to save energy. The only drawback I can see is that it’s a two-seater since the lithium-ion battery pack takes up all the space of the backseat. Otherwise the cool, little EV looks incredibly stylish and sports a big yellow logo in the shape of a power plug making a bold statement. Please let me know once you see one here in New York City.
Of course, there's always another side to the picture. Electricity generation for the Mini might be coal-based, for example, should be "offset" via other life style choices. To shrink their carbon footprint, drivers of the new Mini can use the eco starter kit to cut their carbon footprint by about 2.5 tons. The emissions reduced are equivalent to replacing a mid-size car with a Prius hybrid. All the kit's activities can be done in a weekend. You can calculate your current footprint at www.ecohatchery.com. Let me know what you think!
Posted by: Adam Borut | November 01, 2008 at 08:54 AM
Adam – sorry about the very delayed response. I just enrolled into an online certificate for sustainable design at MCAD and our first assignment was to calculate our ecological footprint. Even that I do consider myself living an eco-conscious life-style I’m in shock about my result and I will definitely check out your eco-starter kit. My carbon, food, and housing footprints are fairly low, but I’m looking for additional ways on how to reduce my goods and service footprint. Nice website by the way!
Posted by: eco-chic design | January 26, 2009 at 07:32 PM