Plug and Play

If you're having a mild case of deja vu it's because the Circuit EV is based on a Lotus Europa.

The Lotus's lightweight construction makes it an ideal electric vehicle, and shows just what's possible.

Interestingly Tesla has adopted the same approach for its roadster, having worked with Lotus to produce a car based on the Elise.

The idea is that you plug the car in once you get home, and then it's raring to go the next morning. You don't need a special generator or power supply a standard wall socket will work just fine.

Although the technology is still being developed they reckon than the EV has a typical driving range of 150-200 miles - ample for most people.

Chrysler hasn't spent much time styling the Circuit EV it has concerned itself more with the technology beneath the surface.

The front and rear have been restyled so that it resembles the rest of the Dodge family but, if you squint a little, you can see the shape of the Lotus underneath.

The cabin is almost identical too, with the same seats and trim, and familiar dashboard layout.

However, driving off in the EV is even easier due to the technology used.