THE electric car revolution is growing, with more and more firms out to prove that they do not have to be confined to the size of small city runabouts.

These fully-charged, eco-friendly motors will be out in force at this month's British International Motor Show, which returns to London's ExCeL, at a special Electric Vehicle Village. The village will bring together one of the largest collections of zero-emissions vehicles ever seen in the UK, with more than 20 vehicles propelled solely by battery power.

On show will be the NICE Super Light sportster, the two-seater Tesla Roadster and models from new brand Quiet Cars, all with the more well-known electric cars from G-Wiz. Electric vehicles are about 70 per cent greener than the equivalent petrol or diesel-driven car, and this is becoming an increasingly important consideration for new car buyers. Vehicle emissions levels now directly affect motoring costs, mainly through vehicle excise duty, with electric cars exempt from the congestion charge in London. They have even had the courtesy of free parking in Westminster and other surrounding boroughs.

London's NICE electric car company does make city cars, like the Mega City, but it will be showcasing the Super Light sport car.

The firm is keen to stress that the Super Light is not a production car, but shows what is possible when car design starts from the principle of electric-drive upwards. Featuring striking gull-wing doors, it was designed around a carbon fibre cell, with advanced electronics replacing traditional mechanical assemblies.

NICE co-founder Evert Geurtsen said: "Even in the midst of a credit crunch and with soaring prices, NICE car owners are laughing. No congestion charge, no road tax, parking concessions and 2p per mile motoring. It doesn't get much nicer than that." But saving money is far from the only reason to own one, he says.

The small, stylish cars emit no unfriendly gases - there is no tailpipe at all, they are low-noise and are easy to park, they are voluntarily crash-tested for front, side, and rear impacts, and are almost 100 per cent recyclable.

The electric cars market was further boosted by the news from newly-formed Liberty Electric Cars Ltd, which is investing £30m in the re-engineering of large luxury cars and 4x4s into emission-free, high-performance electric vehicles.

Liberty, whose company address is in South Leigh, is looking at several locations for a possible manufacturing base, including in the south-west of England. It will design and manufacture a unique electric drive-train platform to power a wide range of large vehicles. It hopes that annual vehicle production, which will include the world's first zero emission, electrically-powered Range Rover, will be in the tens of thousands and will create about 250 new technology and manufacturing jobs.

Barry Shrier, Liberty founder and chief executive, said: "The Liberty Range Rover takes electric vehicle technology into a new sector, to large luxury cars that people aspire to drive, particularly in cities and urban environments where environmental controls are becoming increasingly tighter."

He said its Range Rover would power its way through 200 miles before needing a charge, and some models would carry range-extending generators. The car will cost between £95,000 and £125,000, depending on model and specification.

  • The British International Motor Show, which runs from July 23 to August 3, is expected to attract more than 550,000 visitors. Tickets, from £10 for adults, are available from www.britishmotorshow.co.uk or 0871 230 5588.