Nissan's electric dreams - Vital stats

The development car has a top speed of 85mph and a range of up to 75 miles between charges, although Nissan hopes to have extended this to 100 miles by the time it is launched.

With an 80% recharge time of between half an hour and an hour, Nissan says it will be possible to use the car over long distances as well as in town, charging it during a coffee break at a service station, for instance.

Future generation models could also feature energy-generation devices, such as roof-mounted solar panels, so that charging times are reduced.

At present, a full charge will take eight hours and the battery is built to last between five and eight years depending on how often it is recharged.