Officially launched at the British International Motor Show in July by NICE Car Company, MyCar was named electric vehicle of the year by GreenFleet this past Thursday in Twickenham, England. Sporting space for two occupants and born of an Italian pen, the tiny car from Hong Kong captured judges hearts by combining a stylish and practical design with low running costs. In the land where it will be sold, the all-electric MyCar gets to forgo congestion charges and road tax and, depending on where you juice up the batteries, can cost as little as 2 pence a mile to operate. Hopefully the prize will inspire an orderly queue of potential owners to form in preparation for the cars arrival to the NICE sales floor sometime next month. Cost of admission into the 40 mph / 40 mile range vehicle is a mere £8,995 ($16,220). The options list is quite interesting and we expect lots of takers for 15 inch wheels, leather, bluetooth and laptop dock.

As with every contest there were winners and losers runners-up. Two notable notables were the Th!nk City and the truck from Modec. The Th!nk City is all-electric and designed to be recycled while Modec is said to be making the first purpose-built electric light commercial vehicle. Although the Th!nk City has yet to go on sale in Britain (soon, we hope) according to GreenFleet there are over 110 copies of the Modec vehicle already on the streets displacing more than 990 tonnes of CO₂ per year.



[Source: GreenFleet]

If you love the Fiat 500 as much as we do, live in the UK and wished you could buy an electric version of this nuovo-retro then you are in luck! The NICE Car Company have announced they will launch the Micro Vette Fiat e500 at the British International Motor Show (BIMS). Micro Vette has a close relationship with Fiat and because their work leaves the vehicle structurally undisturbed, not only is the e500 covered by the full Fiat warranty, but you can also order from the full range of Fiat options.

Powered by lithium-ion polymer batteries, the e500 has a range of 70 miles and will do 60 mph. While maybe not ideal for those with a super long commute, it seems to possess just enough performance to fill its role as an electric city car. It's definitely preferable to driving a G-Wiz (sorry Wizzers). If you're interested in it, let them know at BIMS since they are saying this produced-to-order sweetie is available for a limited time.


[Source: NICE Car Company]

It's been a long road for MyCar to make it to the public but now NICE Car Company will call the orphan its own and show it off to the hopefully adoring crowds at the upcoming British International Motor Show (BIMS). First displayed at Motor Show Bologna 2003, the Italian-designed city car for two began life as the product of a joint venture between a company called Innovech and the firm of Giorgetto Giugiaro. After a false start in 2006, MyCar has re-emerged and will make it to market with distribution by NICE and manufacturing by re-named, Hong Kong-based, EuAuto Technology.

With a range of 40 miles and a top speed of 40 mph, this quadricycle sits squarely in G-Wiz territory performance-wise. It does have a few tricks the Indian-built car lacks such as electric windows and mirrors, a choice of removable fiberglass or glass roof and a USB, Mp3 and SD input on its radio. Some of its cooler options include 15' wheels and leather seats as well as techno-geek friendly gadgetry like a laptop dock in the folding passenger seat, bluetooth and sat-nav. Safety hasn't been forgotten either and the car features a collapsible steering column and an energy absorbing front crash structure. Four wheel disc brakes and independent suspension should hopefully keep you out of trouble though. Prices should start at £8,995 when the car goes on sale this Autumn.


[Source: NICE Car Company / CNN / Hong Kong Design Professional]

NICE Car Company has announced another new all-electric addition to their line-up to be debuted at the British International Motor Show (BIMS). This vehicle, which the company classifies as an MPV, they say is "neither a concept nor prototype". Priced at £14k ($27,995.08) NICE is calling this car the first all-electric that fits within a family budget. The Euro-styled, Sino-constructed Ze-O will be available for sale this autumn and will be theoretically capable of 55 mph and have a 65 mile range. An upcoming lithium ion battery option should help out that range considerably. The car is free of emissions and exempt from road tax and congestion charges. Sadly, It bears no resemblance to the other Zeo. Press release after the jump.

[Source: NICE Car Company]

In the same week that the British government is set to release a renewable energy strategy which will tout the benefits of increasing the usage of electric cars comes the news that the City of London is about to end its "free parking for electric cars" program. Apparently the feeling is that it has been successful and it is now possible to spot the odd electric vehicle (EV) on London streets. So what's the problem? The city is "...concerned that the free parking has encouraged car use instead of the use of public transport, walking and cycling and does not consider this to be desirable in the highly congested traffic conditions prevailing in the City." Um, okay. Now, you might not think that it's such a big deal until you learn how much it costs to park in London.Try around £7000 ($13,784.51) a year.You can almost buy a new G-Wiz i for that kind of quid!

NICE Car Company, which recently sang the praises of newly-elected Mayor Boris Johnson and his pro-electric stance, has called the rationale behind the decision "plain daft" as well as "barmy". In a press release discussing the issue, NICE co-founder Julian Wilford stated, "Car makers are moving mountains to bring electric models to market, but we have cars on sale now. Removing this incentive creates uncertainty at a time when consumers need clear, long-term signals on the benefits of clean, electric motoring. The City's approach is the worst kind of green wash." Hit the jump to read the notice received by current permit holders as well as the press release from NICE. Thanks to Simon P. for the tip!

[Sources: NICE / Autocar]

We briefly mentioned earlier that the NICE Car Company would be showing its Super Light Electric Sport Car concept at this year's British International Motor Show (BIMS) along with some other to-be-introduced models (including, we hear, a face-lifted Mega city) from the company. While that's pretty cool, NICE won't be the only electric car company in the house. Nope. Word on the street (ok, it was a press release) is that there will be a veritable cornucopia of electric car companies assembled to create what they are calling, "The Electric Vehicle Village."

Sponsored by Co-operative Insurance, the "Village" will feature 20 different vehicles including the Tesla Roadster and its antithesis, the Reva G-Wiz, as well as an offering from an entirely new brand, currently existing in apparent stealth mode called, "Quiet Cars." Beside the cars to look at, there will be demonstrations held of the Elektrobay on-street recharging station from Elektromotive. The event kicks of on the 23rd of July and runs until the 3rd of August. Organizers are expecting over half a million souls to pass through the gates. All the details can be read from the press release after the break.