Elettrica

For years, the electric car market has been stymied by the slow development of the batteries that power them. Lead-gel batteries are still the norm, though they are heavy and slow charging. Not only that; their lifespan is short, with the battery packs often needing replacement every couple of years - sooner if they've not been charged and discharged according to instruction.

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in mobile phones and other electronic devices, but until recently were deemed too expensive for manufacture for large scale use, such as in electric cars. The Elettrica is to be one of the first electric cars sold in Britain to be so-equipped and although it is likely to cost in the region of £12,000, the battery pack will last about 10 years, no matter how you charge it. Not only that, it comes with all the usual perks of an electric car, which we go into in the other car descriptions.

Tuesday April 3