This is the next generation motoring that should be employed in Malaysia in the near future. Being kind to our environment needs to start now and not wait any longer. BMW has delivered the first all-electric ActiveE in the US and began the next chapter in its electromobility strategy. Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America presented the keys to a BMW ActiveE to Tom and Meredith Moloughney who will begin their two-year lease on the 14th of January 2012. As one of the inaugural MINI E pioneers in 2009, now they officially became the first ActiveE Electronauts.
The BMW Group’s electromobility development strategy began with the MINI E Field Trial in the summer of 2009. When the MINI E trial program began, one of the main open questions was, could a private individual live with an electric vehicle on a daily basis without changing their driving habits? The MINI E pioneers proved without a doubt that not only could it be done, but that doing so required no change in their daily routine, with the exception of plugging-in instead of stopping at the petrol station. No one has proven the viability of an EV as daily transportation more conclusively than the Moloughneys, who logged over 72,500 miles in MINI E # 250 in just two-and-a-half years. That is as much driving as the typical American driver does in five years and they did it without burning so much as an ounce of petrol.
The Moloughneys became the first of what will be 700 BMW Electronaut households who will lease a BMW ActiveE for a two year period. Deliveries will continue over the next several weeks. As the MINI E provided valuable insight into life with an EV, the BMW ActiveE lease period will again be used to gather feedback that will be part of the development of the BMW i3 which will come to market in 2013.
The ActiveE is the only car that is 100% Electric and 100% BMW, providing the performance and efficiency everyone has come to expect from The Ultimate Driving Machine®. With output of 170 hp and maximum torque of 184 lb-ft from a standstill, The BMW ActiveE accelerates from 0–60 mph in under nine seconds. Newly developed lithium-ion batteries facilitate a driving range of up to 100 miles on a full charge.
The BMW ActiveE information can be viewed by visiting www.bmwusa.com/ActiveE.
