| New electric car | Liberty electric Range Rover |
One of the cars most hated by environmental campaigners is cleaning up its act and will soon be offered with a zero emissions electric engine. British company Liberty has come up with the electric Range Rover and it will sell from £95,000.
Liberty has developed an all-new electric drivetrain that can be used to power a wide variety of cars. The company says that electric vehicles are still a largely untapped market and it will be in a position to make the most of it as the prices of petrol and diesel rise. The company is planning a UK factory with a £30 million investment and says it will create 250 jobs.
In the Range Rover, the electric motor and power pack supplies a range of 200 miles and Liberty says this can be extended by adding a small generator to create electricity on demand. The company says its Range Rover is a zero emissions vehicle and is also a little quicker than petrol or diesel-powered versions as electric motors produce peak torque the instant they start turning.
Liberty is yet to confirm where its factory will be based and when cars will be available, but a company spokesman said they are looking at a number of potential sites around the UK.
Alisdair Suttie - 23 May 2008