Share

Big Olympic job for mini Minis

BMW, as the official vehicle partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is keeping the Games moving with a range of fully electric vehicles but the latest addition to its Olympic fleet – a mini Mini – is somewhat unconventional.

BMW has supplied 160 1 Series ActiveE and 40 Mini E units to shuttle athletes and officials between venues but Track and Field fans have something more to look forward to.

NOT THE AVERAGE SPORTY MINI


BMW’s mini Mini will make its debut at the Games where it will form another critical component to the Olympic fleet, albeit not on the road…

Three mini Minis, roughly a quarter-scale of the real cars, will be used on the field in the Olympic Stadium. The special radio-controlled battery cars will be used to ferry javelins, discuses, hammers and shots from the field to the throwing area, saving time during the competition.

Each of the three will cover around six kilometres a day in four-hour shifts across the nine days of Olympic and nine days of Paralympic competition. One car will carry a load of up to 8kg – a single hammer, discus or shot, or two javelins – and equipment will be accessed through the adapted sun roof.

Each Mini is blue with orange London 2012 Games livery and a white roof. They are powered by batteries that can sustain 35 minutes of continuous use with a radio-control range of about 100m and be fully recharged in 80 minutes, BMW said.

Dr Juergen Hedrich, managing director of the UK's Mini Plant Oxford, said: “The Mini team was thrilled to be given the challenge to develop a vehicle with such an important and high-profile role during the Olympic and Paralympic Games."
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE