“Project i” to feature electric cars better than the Mini E

Finished just in six months from start to finish, the Mini-E project is a extraordinary illustration of just what can be achieved when brilliant minds are provided the freedom and resources to produce a contemporary EV from a current platform. But at the bottom line, the Mini-E still only an adaptation of a combustion-engine vehicle, not a purpose-built electric car, and that’s a feature the final goal of Project i.


The LA Auto Show provided an opportunity for a lot of the members of the press to try the Mini-E, demonstrating that it is a dynamic and enjoyable car, faithful to its Mini platform. Since its first goal has been met, Project i is now seeking the development of a fresh urban vehicle that will highlight an assortment of electric or combustion engine powertrains, but which will be designed completely new to include both. It is the hope of BMW that by 2015 they will have a fully-operating ‘megacity’ car available to the public, and not like the latest Mini-E, it will have to accommodate more than two with restricted cargo room.









The new platform will also have to be extremely adaptable so as to meet the requirements of a wide range of markets, such as Japan and the US. Proportion, power and economy requirements which may be popular in one market but may not be for another, so the ability to adapt as much as it can in term of design parameters will make the car more competitive internationally, even though it will likely also be more expensive and problematic to design and produce.

 [source motorauthority]