When's a Mini Cooper worth as much as a BMW 5-Series? When it's powered by electrons and plugs into a wall socket. The Mini in question is from EV engineering firm Hybrid Technologies, which will add it to the company's line of converted EVs. Those currently (heh heh) include the Smart Fortwo, and Chrysler PT Cruiser taxicab. The e-Mini (not its proper name) uses similar lithium polymer batteries as an iPod, and will likely hit next year 2008. It's for premature adopters only; as AutoblogGreen points out, it'll take 32 years to make up the price difference in gas savings. No word on an electric John Cooper Works version, but something like that may already be in play. [via AutoblogGreen]

Contact information for this author is not available.