Hybrid Mini Cooper: A Dream Come True

This entry has nothing to do with Emerging Media, well maybe in a 6-degrees of separation kind of way--if we link Emerging Energy Alternatives to Emerging Technologies to Emerging Media. But, someone has definitely put two and two together to come-up with 5 ,and made my dreams come true.

Those who know me well, know that I love the Mini Cooper and also that I am a huge proponent of energy conservation and green living (recycling etc.). Now here comes an announcement by a British firm that has managed to successfully test a hybrid engine in a BMW Mini Cooper.

I think this idea definitely one of those, where the whole is worth much more than the sum of its parts. Now I am eagerly waiting to see if/when this makes it into production.

A British engineering firm has put together a high-performance hybrid version of BMW's Mini Cooper. The PML Mini QED has a top speed of 150 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. The car uses a small gasoline engine with four 160 horsepower electric motors — one on each wheel. The car has been designed to run for four hours of combined urban/extra urban driving, powered only by a battery and bank of ultra capacitors. The QED supports an all-electric range of 200-250 miles and has a total range of about 932 miles (1,500 km). For longer journeys at higher speeds, a small conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) is used to re-charge the battery. In this hybrid mode, fuel economies of up to 80mpg can be achieved.

Treehugger: Electric Mini: 0-60 in 4 Seconds: It Has Motors In Its Wheels