The purchase of NICE Car company by French NEV Facturer Aixam has resulted in the e-City Pro Electric Car. The car is a stripped-down version of the Mega e-City, and is priced at £10,131 plus tax (deductible if the car is for professional use). The model, which has no power windows, no alloy wheels. no radio, and no rear wiper, is sold in white, for companies and institutions to paint in their own colors. Lawrence Holland, general manager of Aixam Mega in the UK, said: "By cutting back on extras the e-City Pro offers all the functionality of the Mega range at a significantly reduced cost." The car still retains the 40mph maximum speed and 40-mile range (it has lead batteries), and as all electrics, is exempt from Road tax in Great Britain and Congestion Charge in Central London.

[Source: Mega via EVWorld]

How much money will it take for the UK to reach a critical mass with electric vehicles? A lot, and the Brits are on it. The Department for Transport has announced a large £100 million commitment over five years to greener motoring in the UK. Of this, £10 million is specified to bring 100 EVs to British towns and cities and to generate "up to 10,000 new British jobs and help preserve many thousands more." The DfT is certainly spreading the job creation/retention news on thick, but that's to be expected and is not unreasonable.

The companies that have been put on the short list to "provide electric and low carbon vans" are: Ford; Mercedes Benz; Citroen; Ashwoods; Land Rover, Modec; Smiths; Electric Vehicles; LDV; Nissan and Allied Vehicles. In this case, low carbon means less than 50 grams of CO₂ emitted per kilometer.

Electric car companies doing business in the UK are understandably in favor of this measure. Th!nk showed off its wares for legislators and NICE issued a statement (available after the jump) that this package "is the clearest indication yet that government acknowledges the role all-electric motoring will play in the battle against climate change."

[Source: NICE, DfT]

The London-based NICE (No Internal Combustion Engine) car company has issued a statement going full-throttle at the big automakers. The statement says that customers will have to "expect a long wait if they think that mainstream manufacturers" are going to start selling electric cars any soon. "It's easy to get caught up in talk of an electric car revolution," said NICE co-founder Evert Geurtsen. "However, we'd be very surprised if many of the all-electric sports cars, and other models that have been making headlines, hit showrooms within forecast time frames." Of course, once they got our attention, NICE then added that they have already a full range of electric cars and electric bikes which are already available, two NEVs, the Mega City and the MyCar, and a small minivan, called Ze-O. Find the full statement after the jump.

[Source: NICE]

At the beginning of May we told you about sales predictions made by the NICE Car Company. At the very bottom of the press release that accompanied that post there was mention made of a new car unveiling that would happen at the annual SMMT test day, which is a day of new-car driving for journalists held at the Millbrook proving grounds. Well, that day has come and gone and while the Internets seem uncharacteristically devoid of information about the various goings on, we do have some information about the car in question.

The Super Light Electric Sport Car is a concept vehicle that embodies much of the technology that NICE believes will help propel electric-powered cars to the forefront. Its steering and braking are electrically controlled instead of mechanically and it's all designed around a carbon fiber cell. We're not sure if NICE thinks scissor doors are the key to the future but this car has them and with the roof panels also lifting out of the way along with the doors, ingress and egress (getting in and out) should be quite easy.

According to Channel 4, the project was conducted in a partnership with Cranfield University's power and drive systems group. NICE co-founder, Evert Geurtsen, said of the vehicle, "This is not a production car, but it does show what is possible when design starts from the principle of electric-drive upwards. When integrated with advanced, lightweight materials, the benefits of this approach become very clear." Although the public hasn't yet had access to the vehicle, all that will change when it hits the floor of the British International Motor Show in late July along with several other new models being added to the NICE lineup.

[Source: NICE / Channel 4]

Now that the city of London has voted out "red Ken" in favor of Conservative candidate Boris Johnson, it is expected that the congestion charge scheme may undergo some changes. One electric car company, NICE (No Internal Combustion Engine), is showing no fear and is sounding positive about the future with their new mayor. They are even predicting increased business in the coming year. Julian Wilford, co-founder of the London-based company, states, "We know that Boris recognises the many benefits of owning an electric car," in a press release that extends an invitation to the politician to give their shop a visit as well as discuss their upcoming plans. Perhaps they read his "colorful" opinion piece in the Telegraph in defense of that other London-centric electric car, the G-Wiz.

And what of those future plans? They plan on adding yet more models to their already-varied vehicle line-up which includes the Vectrix and Mega Multi Truck. For more a more detailed look into the future hit the jump for the press release.

The NICE (No Internal Combustion Engine) car company unveiled the MEGA City electric car this week at the British Motor Show.

In the wake of the unveiling of the spectacular Tesla Roadster sports car, the MEGA City seems completely boring by comparison. Beyond the 2-seat passenger configuration, the Tesla and the NICE couldn't be more different. With its 4kW maximum output, 40 mph top speed, and 38 to 50 mile range on a full charge, no one is ever going to accuse the MEGA City of setting any performance benchmarks.

Then again, the NICE isn't about all that. It is a pure city car designed to be used on the streets of London, where its exempt from the congestion and road taxes, pulls a low insurance premium, and qualifies its driver for free or cut-rate parking. Oh, and it also won't break the bank with its £9,995 starting price. NICE even has an agreement worked out with self-service car rental agency Streetcar that will let drivers rent a VW at reduced prices if they need to go somewhere outside of the EV's range.

The NICE MEGA City is a robust-looking little package that's available in 5 colors and is reasonably well-equipped right out of the showroom. Beyond that, the list of available options is highlighted by a satellite navigation system that has London's free Park-and-Charge recharging points pre-programmed into it. Nice touch. Drivers will be able to download updates via the NICE website.

For London's urbanites, the NICE MEGA City offers a stylish, zero-emissions automotive solution that's affordable at the same time.

(Additional info after the jump)

Source: NICE