The New Electric Mini QED, Inspired by… Suitcases?

Yes, suitcases. In June of 2008, Live Luggage brought the world’s first power-assisted suitcase to market. Each wheel of the suitcase contains a small electric motor of its own, developed by PML Flightlink and known as the Nano-Wheel. PML teamed with Mini Cooper in hopes of bringing this technology to the automotive scene, and the Mini QED was created.

Each wheel of the Mini QED contains a small electric motor – each motor is capable of producing 160bhp in each wheel, for a total of 640bhp! Not only does this provide a true all-wheel-drive platform that is not split by differentials, it also means the Mini QED is the only fully electric automobile that is capable of extreme acceleration times and high velocities – 0 to 60mph in 4.5 seconds and a 150mph top speed, to be exact.

The Mini QED is powered only by a battery, and is designed to operate through four continuous hours of urban driving. After the battery is drained, the vehicle can be plugged in to recharge in less than twelve hours. But what if four hours is too short for your cross-country trip to grandma’s house? Engage the quarter-liter (yes, 0.25 liter), 2-cylinder, gasoline-powered engine to recharge the battery while you drive. That’s four hours of operation without gasoline, and an 80mpg fuel economy after that!

Drivers of the Mini QED may select between three modes of operation: eco, normal, and sport. Eco mode is optimized for city driving and is designed to provide the longest battery life for frequent starting and stopping. Normal mode is optimized for daily commuting and long trips. Sport mode provides the shortest battery life, but gives the QED its fast 0 to 60mph time.

Up until now, the few electric vehicles in the market have left much to be desired. They have had short distance ranges and long charge times, not to mention horrible acceleration. But now, even an avid fan of overpowered 8-cylinder engines and fun-to-drive vehicles, such as myself, has something to look forward to in the next generation of automobiles!

For now, the Mini QED is just a “what-if” concept, but PML plans to partner its technology with commercially produced automobiles in the future – and I, for one, am looking forward to it!

About the Author: Todd Patterson is a 27 year-old computer programmer and vehicle enthusiast living in British Columbia, Canada. He owns an extremely fast 1996 Firebird Formula, which he built with the assistance of his long-time friend and mechanic, William Wygant. See Todd’s Firebird Formula in action on his street racing website DigStreetRacing.com!

Filed Under: Electric • Hybrid • MINI