The Mini E was a demonstration electric car developed by BMW as a conversion of its Mini Cooper car. The Mini E was developed for field trials and deployed in several countries, including the United States, Germany, UK, France, Japan and China. The field testing of the Mini E was part of BMW Project i, which was followed in January 2012 by a similar trial with the BMW ActiveE, and the last phase of project was the development of the BMW i3 urban electric car, that went into mass production in 2013. In 2019 BMW announced that the mass market Mini Electric will go in to production. The first trial was launched in the U.S. in June 2009 and the Mini E was available through leasing to private users in Los Angeles and the New York/New Jersey area. Another field test was launched in the UK in December 2009, where more than forty Mini E cars were handed to private users for two consecutive six-month field trial periods. This trial program allowed the BMW Group to become the world's first major car manufacturer to deploy a fleet of more than 500 all-electric vehicles for private use. After the trial some Mini Es were displayed in museums, others shipped to Germany for further lab testing, and the rest dismantled and crushed. The 40 Mini Es that participated in the UK trial were kept in use after the trial ended in March 2011, participating in promotional activities and forming part of BMW Group UK's official vehicle fleet for the London 2012 Olympic Games. All Mini E vehicles were equipped similar to a standard Mini Cooper hatchback. History The Mini E was unveiled at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. BMW used its Mini brand to test its electric powertrain technology but the vehicle was also developed in order to meet new California regulations that require carmakers to offer zero emission vehicles. Specifications Powertrain The Mini E is powered by an asynchronous electric motor that is mounted in the former engine bay and is rated at and of torque. Drive is sent to the front wheels. The Mini E employs a lithium-ion battery pack with an overall capacity of . The batteries weigh and replace the back seat. Top speed is electronically limited to , with acceleration in 8 seconds. The car's range is on a single charge under optimal conditions. Estimates of