BMW's Mini brand plans to have electric cars on U.S. roads by next summer.

Mini USA Vice President Jim McDowell said Tuesday the company is deciding whether to lease or sell the vehicles and where they'll be available. He wouldn't say how far the electric car will be able to go on a charge.

The Detroit Free Press reported that BMW will ship 500 electric Minis to the United States. McDowell said recent reports that Mini would sell the vehicles in California are premature because there is no final plan in place.

U.S. Mini sales were up 34 percent in the first six months of this year as consumers sought smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles and the Mini Clubman was introduced. But McDowell said sales could slip in the coming months because the automaker doesn't have enough of its vehicles to meet demand.

McDowell said that Mini will add 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles to the allotment its U.S. dealers get this year, the Free Press reported. Mini sales climbed 33.9 percent to 26,400 cars for the first half of 2008.

The newspaper also reported that Mini is expected to debut a crossover vehicle at the Paris Auto Show this fall, although there is no production date set yet.