Electric cars to go up-market

But qualms about the geeky image of electric cars could soon be a thing of the past. A new electric car company in the UK announced bold plans to mass produce a range of electric executive cars that will include an electric version of the iconic Range Rover.

Unique
Liberty Electric Cars is investing thirty million pounds in designing and manufacturing a unique electric drive train platform which will be able to power a wide range of vehicles. The company says that it expects the production of vehicles fitted with the new electric platform to run into tens of thousands, and include the world’s first zero emission, electrically-powered Range Rover.

Liberty also plans to offer its drive train technology to other vehicle manufacturers, commercial fleet operators and emergency response organisations.

Bold claims
The company makes the rather bold claim that the Range Rover, “will make less environmental impact than the smallest, most fuel-efficient standard car” currently available. (I’m sure we could argue all day about that…)

The driving range of the cars will be considerably longer than current electric vehicles, at around two hundred miles between charges, and some vehicles will include an on-board range extending generator. Unfortunately, Liberty doesn’t provide any technical detail as to how it will achieve this impressive driving range.

No bargain
Even if Liberty’s plans do come to fruition, emissions-free luxury doesn’t come cheap. The vehicles are expected to cost between £95,000 and £125,000 depending on model and specification. Presumably not a problem to the people behind Liberty Electric Vehicles, which include a former managing director of a Deutsche Bank subsidiary and a former British government minister.