EV Stores announces UK launch of Italian electric car

The latest electric car from Italy should appear on UK roads from the end of the year after EV Stores secured the rights to distribute the Tazzari ZERO in the UK and Ireland.

The company, which launched earlier this year and already distributes the MyCar electric vehicle, as well as a number of electric vans and bikes, said that it would start taking orders for the Tazzari ZERO this summer ahead of its scheduled launch in December.

The car will be the latest model to exploit new lithium ion battery technology that promises to deliver an improved range and performance compared to first-generation electric vehicles.

According to the manufacturers, the Tazzari ZERO will boast a range of 88 miles and the battery will recharge in six hours using a standard plug and in 50 minutes using optional fast charging technology. It will also boast a top speed of 56 miles per hour.

The car will prove a direct competitor to the recently launched G-Wiz L-ion, which similarly uses lithium ion battery technology to deliver an improved range of 75 miles and a top speed of 51 miles per hour.

However, EV Stores is hopeful that the car's Italian design and a number of "creature features", such as leather seats, MP3 player and removable sun roof, will provide it with a differentiator in what is expected to become an increasingly crowded market over the next two years with the launch of new electric city cars from Axiam Mega, Think and Smart, to name but a few.

The company said the car was expected to retail at £18,000, not including any rebate that it could qualify for under the government's proposed electric car incentive scheme.