Greater Manchester-based MeV Ltd has spent the past two years designing and developing a low-cost electric vehicle that can be sold at the same price as an eight-year-old hatchback, rather than competing on price with new vehicles.

The BeeAnywhere is claimed to be the UK’s most affordable battery electric vehicle (BEV), with a target price of under £10,000.

MeV CEO Anthony Keating (www.mevltd.co.uk) said: “Emissions-free transport should not be limited to those who can pay a premium.

The BeeAnywhere makes electric vehicles affordable, and it has the potential to displace millions of older polluting vehicles, especially if backed by a scrappage scheme.”

The company has combined the expertise of the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering at the University of Bolton with advanced composites from the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre.

The resulting innovative chassis design and the composite body allow the vehicle to be assembled from a small number of parts, significantly reducing production and component costs.

In contrast to other automotive manufacturers, which have replicated existing cars with an electric powertrain, the BeeAnywhere has been specifically designed as a two-seat urban vehicle, controlled via the user’s smartphone; the company is currently building pre-production vehicles.

MeV chairman Tim Harper said: “For the UK to achieve targets set out in the Government’s 2019 Clean Air Strategy, there needs to be a rapid switch to electric vehicles.

"There are currently no viable alternatives to conventional vehicles at an equivalent price point, and the targets will not be met simply by charging for entering Ultra Low Emission Zones.

"The upcoming COP26 Conference gives the Government an opportunity to back low-carbon innovations and stimulate the creation of new industries.”

The innovative design of the BeeAnywhere, with the self-aligning chassis and body components, means that production can be rapidly scaled up to meet demand without a large capital investment in infrastructure.

The chassis developed at the NCME uses aluminium and carbon fibre to produce a lightweight but extremely stiff cell to protect the occupants.

The reduced number of components compared to a vehicle with an internal combustion engine both increases the reliability and reduces the need for maintenance.