Southampton - Southampton Town is going “green” once again. In partnership with MINI of the Hamptons, the Town is now able to lease the all new electric MINI Cooper, an initiative that looks toward “downsizing” vehicle use within the municipality and fostering a move from the oversized SUV’s currently operated by town employees to the smaller, more environmentally friendly vehicle.

“Let’s get on board with what these cars can do,” Councilwoman Anna Throne-Holst said.
“Let’s get everyone together,” Southampton Town Councilwoman Anna Throne-Holst posed Thursday, June 25, at an informational meeting focused on educating department heads on this new initiative.

Throne-Holst, long a proponent of sustainability, was contacted earlier this year by MINI of the Hamptons to see if she would be interested in participating in an initiative set up to get town employees on board with using the electric vehicle. Last year, Throne-Holst spearheaded the town’s campaign to create and implement “green” building codes, and is also liaison to the town’s Sustainable Southampton Committee.

The electric MINI Cooper was introduced in October, with a limited release this year. Getting a chance to use the vehicle before almost anyone, the town of Southampton will be able to lease five electric MINIs for $10 a month per vehicle for one year. At the information session, Throne-Holst said that those willing to participate in the lease will be able to use the vehicles for their everyday job-related activities. With only five MINIs however, the departments will have to find a way to share with each other, as well as a way to monitor how the vehicle is or is not meeting their needs.

“The whole idea of this is participating on tracking it,” the councilwoman told the department heads. “We want to look at it comprehensively.”

Town Engineer George Mootoo goes for a test drive.
According to Torr Marro, general sales manager for MINI of the Hamptons, the electric MINI has 21 horsepower and can drive up to 95 mph. Charging the vehicle could take anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours, and the MINI is set to get approximately 100 to 120 miles per charge. Marro added that, in his estimation, the vehicles should be “40 to 50 percent less expensive to drive.”

John Valente, from the Town Assessor’s Office, said using the MINI would not only be friendlier for the environment, but would cut down on expenses in his department.

“We would be reducing our carbon foot print and costs,” he said.

After the information session, department heads were given the chance to test drive the MINI, and a few were biting at the bit to get in. Added Throne-Holst, having driven to the meeting in one of the MINIs, “They’re really fun to drive. They’re cute.”
Source: Hamptons