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It looks like the MINI will be the next automobile to go green here in the US. Thanks to some recent statements from MINI USA VP Jim McDowell it looks like they will be launching an electric MINI during the summer of 2009.

Of course at this time the details are still very light, and McDowell was not able to comment on just what type of battery will be powering these new models or whether they will be available for sale, lease or both. Its also still unclear if they will initially be released nationwide or just in California. MINI has promised more details before the end of the year.

Based on a company press release the initial release will consist of “several hundred Minis to experiment with electric drive systems.” This experiment is designed to see just how well they will do in the real world market.

Electric cars have been an interesting and growing trend and offer a seemingly dedicated following from those who own one. A release of an electric MINI should prove to be even more interesting considering how loyal many of the current MINI owners already are about their cars.

Via [AutoblogGreen]

To combat air pollution, noise pollution, and the constant rise of gas and oil prices everywhere, a little-known company called Pipistrel started work on possibly the world’s first commercial electric powered light aircraft, and they’re calling it the Taurus Electro. It’s a kick-butt two-seat ultralight aircraft with a 15 meter wing-span and is also intended for glider pilots. Right now, they’re still few steps behind completing the project but if they keep on it, the Taurus Electro just might start hitting runways everywhere by the end of 2008.

Tine Tomazic, the company’s test pilot, has confirmed that Pipistrel indeed has the technology to create such a thing already in their hands. And according to Pipistrel CEO Ivo Boscarol, the Taurus Electro’s battery pack recharges (yes, it’s rechargeable) at about the same time that it takes a cellphone to charge, and works just as efficient as its gasoline-powered counterpart.

All in all, the technology behind the Taurus Electro seems simple. It uses a lithium-polymer battery pack weighing 101 pounds for power, and with a wingspan of about 15 meters it achieves enough power to climb up to 6,000 feet up into the air, at a rate of 560 feet per minute. Pipistrel says that this still unpatented electric aircraft technology is costing them almost 1 Million EUR now, but once the final product comes out, you’ll be able to bag one of these babies for yourself at only $100,000 a piece (give or take a couple thousand). Continue reading for a video of the Taurus Electro in action.

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