New £120,000 electric Range Rover announced

A new eco-friendly car company which specialises in luxury green vehicles has revealed details of an electric-powered Range Rover.

Liberty Electric Cars will design and manufacture an electric drivetrain which will give the Range Rover a distance of 200 miles between charges.

Founded by Barry Shrier, Liberty Electric Cars claim annual production of the green Range Rover will be in the tens of thousands and will create 250 new technology and manufacturing jobs.

Mr Shrier said: “The Liberty Electric Range Rover takes electric vehicle technology into a new sector, to large luxury vehicles which people aspire to drive, particularly in cities and urban environments where environmental controls are becoming increasingly tighter.”

Crazy Range Rover Coupe slide show

While a typical petrol Range Rover costs almost £20 to run over a distance of 100 miles, the electric model costs just £3.44.

Liberty Electric Cars is investing £30 million into the re-engineering of the vehicles which, under current laws, will mean a tax free, congestion charge exempt 4x4 which will also get free parking in the city of London.

This means if Transport for London continue with proposals to introduce the £25 congestion charge, Liberty Range Rover drivers would save £6,500 a year on this alone.

And with parking costing more than £10 for a day in the city, this will mean a further £2,500 annual saving.

The electric powertrains will be fitted into existing vehicles rather than create an entirely new range as this will require less energy to construct.

On top of the eco-friendliness, electric cars also benefit from all the motor’s pulling power available all the time, meaning the Liberty Range Rover could be a quicker accelerating car than its petrol and diesel-powered alternatives.

In terms of the green revolution, solely-electric vehicles are lagging behind hybrids and biofuel cars in market with the G-Wiz the best-known motor in the UK.

However, the Tesla Roadster is going down a storm in the USA with celebs queuing up to get their hands on an electric sports car which will out-accelerate a Ferrari F430 to 60mph.

But despite being developed by Norfolk-based car maker Lotus, the Tesla Roadster won’t be coming to the UK as yet.

Liberty Electric Cars has received ten orders for the Liberty Range Rover so far with production expected to begin at the end of the year.

Prices for the Liberty Range Rover ranges between £95,000 and £125,000 depending on the specification with deliveries expected to begin in the early part of 2009.

Video: Watch this footage of the more traditionally powered Range Rover in action