2nd Gen E Half of Mini E lessees want keep the electric Cooper for another year

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The pilot lease program of the Mini E, which consisted of 450 people testing the electric vehicle in the metro-markets of LA and NY, has been a wild success with half of the participants having told BMW that they wish to extend their current deals for another year, said Rich Steinberg, manager of electric vehicle operations of North America.

Though BMW is offering an opportunity to renew, it is only to individual users, and not fleet users. The original price of $850-per-month is being reduced to $600-per-month.

Steinberg is very happy with the reception that the E has received, and said that the second-year lease program serves as a perfect transition for those enthusiasts and early electric-car adopters to obtain the car before the scheduled mid-2011 production version of the Mini E.

It is hoped by many that the car will not be as expensive to purchase as it is to lease.