Mini E news - Mini's big shock - 2008

A Mini plastered in Big Fun Stickers is a surefire sign that there’s an unctuous estate agent in the vicinity, but here’s the exception.

This is the Mini E, the all-electric One set to debut at the LA Auto Show next month.

The E is powered by a lithium ion battery driving a 204bhp electric motor which develops 162lb ft of torque. That’s a surprisingly low figure for an electric car, which tend to be short on horsepower but high on torque, but Mini says that the E will still reach 60mph in just over eight seconds.

Top speed is a conservative 95mph, while – more importantly, perhaps – the E will manage around 150 miles on a single charge.

It’ll take around eight hours to recharge the E, but Mini says it is working on a more efficient charging station that can be installed in owners’ garages to recharge the car in around two and a half hours.

The Mini’s never been big on back seat space, but the E takes offspring origami to a new level – the rear seats have been completely ditched to make way for the battery pack.

But the E isn’t technically a production car yet. Mini calls the E a ‘pilot project’ to determine the viability of pure electric cars, and will lease between 500 and 1000 Es to customers in New York, Los Angeles and possibly London – cities with the necessary recharging infrastructure.

Should the E reach these shores, expect those estate agent boys to be first in the queue…

It's not as cool as this Porsche 911 mind you. Or the Tesla.