Shoreham-based Ricardo (www.ricardo.com) has announced that it has signed a strategic co-operation agreement with China’s Future Mobility Corporation (FMC) to assist in the development of a new family of electric vehicles.

Formed in 2016 and registered in Hong Kong, FMC aims to redefine the market for high-quality feature-rich electric vehicles, bringing unprecedented levels of performance, functionality and affordability to international markets. The company’s ambitious plans will see its first products rolled out in 2020.

Martin Tolliday, Ricardo’s managing director of hybrid and electric systems, said: “FMC is one of China’s most exciting companies within the new energy vehicle sector. It has ambitious plans to create new electric vehicles that are attractive to customers in world markets.

“The company has an exceptional in-house team, comprising some of the world’s foremost experts in electric vehicles, so it is an honour for Ricardo to have been selected as an engineering partner.

“We look forward to working with FMC on this exciting project — one that I believe will play its part in shaping the future of electric vehicles world-wide.”