2012 BMW ActiveE

For over a year, I've been looking for a way to get into an electric vehicle, but my options have been decidedly limited. I'm either lacking the funds (Tesla Roadster) or the alternatives have lacked character (Mitsubishi i, Focus Electric).

But now there's this: The 2012 BMW ActiveE. It's the next step for BMW in electrification – a bridge between the Mini E and the forthcoming i3 – that takes a standard 1 Series Coupe and adds a brace of batteries and electric motor to create a rear-wheel-drive sports coupe with a 100-mile range. Even better, the price is right.

Unlike the Mini E that required owners to plunk down a hefty chunk of change each month, the ActiveE's outlay is far more palatable: $2,250 down and $499 a month for a 24-month lease – well below what you'd drop on a new (or even used) gas-powered 1 Series.

Now I'm the first to admit to being an early-adopting sucker, but could it be worth my hard-earned Blogger Bucks to become a beta tester for BMW's electrification efforts? I flew 5,800 miles to Munich to find out.

The kit fitted to the ActiveE is set to power both the i3 city car and i8 hybrid-electric flagship. Specifically, the 125 kW electric synchronous motor integrated into the E's rear axle will find a home in the back of the i3, powering the rear wheels, while the i8's application will provide a boost of torque to the front wheels. The motor puts out 168 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque and weighs in at a relatively insignificant 200 pounds.