UK motorists will soon be able to place orders to buy a fully electric-powered car later this year, when the new TH!NK city electric vehicle (EV) goes on sale in this country.

Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show by Norwegian electric vehicle pioneers Think, a company with 17 years' experience in EVs, the new TH!NK city will be available for customer orders during the last quarter of this year. The price is expected to be about £14,000. The makers says the TH!NK city is a true, modern urban car.

A spokesman said: "It is a fully environmental vehicle, emission-free and 95 per cent recyclable.

"With an energy efficiency three times that of a traditional combustion engine car, it is a car that realistically meets the growing challenges of environmental protection and congestion and emissions legislation."

The two-seater urban car has a top speed of 65mph. It accelerates from zero to 30 mph in 6.5 seconds and 50 mph in 16 seconds.

It requires an overnight top-up of electricity and can travel for 124 miles in city driving on a fully charged battery. A full charge from a domestic electricity socket takes just ten hours. Over 10,000 miles use, the total cost of electricity used to power a TH!NK city will be in the region of £125.

TH!NK city is designed to meet the strict safety requirements of both Europe and the US, as a highway-safe road car.

The car is equipped with anti-lock brakes, airbags and three-point safety belts with pretensioners and the makers say it meets all European and US requirements with good margins.

Richard Blundell, managing director of Think UK, said: "Unlike the lower-range, electric quadricycles that have had limited success in the UK, TH!NK city is a real car which provides a realistic option for those motorists who want to drive a true zero emissions car."