A former business analyst hopes to revolutionise urban motoring by developing a zero-emissions electric vehicle.

Dubbed the A-Kar, the vehicle is being developed by Al-Karim Versi, now managing director of A-Kar (Europe) Limited.

Designed especially for city driving, the three-wheeled A-Kar has a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour (56.3 kilometres per hour) and can carry up to three passengers in the rear. The driver sits in a central position up front.

Made of glass-reinforced plastic, the A-Kar is powered by lithium-ion batteries, with a full charge time of five hours and a maximum travel distance per charge of 70 miles (112.6 kilometres)

“The use and popularity of electric vehicles in London is growing,” Versi said. “Currently, four-wheeled electric passenger vehicles are on the roads and the A-Kar will fill the niche for three-wheeled vehicles as either delivery vans or passenger carriers in London or other UK cities.”

Versi said he is now working with a UK-based auto company to produce an initial set of 12 vehicles for road use by 2010. He hopes to have many more on the roads by the 2012 Olympic Games, “giving London and other UK cities a unique, iconic and British electric vehicle.”

Once an analyst in database and trading systems for investment banks, Versi decided to start his own business in 2006 to build an electric car with no greenhouse gas emissions. He then travelled to Hong Kong and China to create the initial moulds for his protoype vehicle.

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