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  1. Five of the best new MINI mash-ups
  2. MINI XXL, Not so mini
  3. MINI Rickshaw, Shaw beats walking
  4. MINI and Airstream, Definitely for mini adventures
  5. MINI E, Electric
  6. George Harrison MINI, Groovy

MINI E, Electric

More than just future-gazing, this electrically-powered MINI E is a reality, 500 MINI Es being tested around the world right now running on battery power. BMW is using the MINI E to assess exactly how people use electric cars, the 204bhp MINI Es being leased to customers in the USA and used daily for the next two years. The experiment uses people drawn by a ballot and requires users to have a charging station installed at their home or place of work.

It's a step towards an electrified future on our roads and MINI is heading the charge. With plenty of power on tap it's not slow either, the MINI E reaching 62mph in just 8.5 seconds. There are some sacrifices to be made with it though: the back seats are replaced by the battery pack for instance and it also uses up all but a tiny part of the boot. So what if it's not practical; it's fast, fun and emissions free - so long as the energy you use to charge it is renewable.

Kyle Fortune