BMW to mass produce electric car from 2010

"Individual mobility continues to play a key role, particularly in America, while demand for greener technology becomes greater,"' Friedrich Eichiner, BMW's board member for corporate development said. BMW plans to first sell the electric car between 2010 and 2015, Eichiner said. As a first step, the company will lease its new electric Mini Cooper, externally identical to its fuel-dependent cousin, to 500 customers in New York , New Jersey and California for one year, starting in March, to gather feedback on its performance.

Automakers such as General Motors, Toyota Motor and Chrysler are also pushing to bring electric cars to the market after record US gasoline prices spurred demand for fuel-efficient models. "In the long term, oil prices will rise because of a decline in availability,"' Eichiner said. "It doesn't matter where gas prices are right now."' BMW will likely decide by the end of this year or early in 2009 whether it will mass produce the electric Mini or build a different electric car, such as a BMW model, Eichiner said. The model, which can reach a top speed of 95 miles an hour and decelerates quickly once the foot is taken off the accelerator, may also be marketed in Europe , he said.

The $850-a-month lease for the electric Mini trials includes a charge station installed in the drivers' garage. Charging the empty lithium-ion battery takes about two hours and as much as 10 hours if plugged into a wall socket, Eichiner said. The Mini has a range of 156 miles fully charged. AC Propulsion will provide the Mini electric drive system. The company built the early power train systems for Tesla Motors' Roadster, and converts gasoline-powered vehicles to run on electricity.