A City Electric Car With Style

LONDON, May 19, 2006 --

A stylish new all-electric city car is about to hit the streets of the UK's congested towns and cities. Designed and built in Italy, it is rapidly becoming the must-have city transport for the style conscious Italians who are looking for an environmentally friendly vehicle for town driving.

Designed around a stainless steel chassis with all independent suspension the compact two seater, it is less than nine foot long, has a surprising amount of storage space under the bonnet and behind the high back contoured seats, and the front opening doors makes it easy for even the tallest person to get in and out of.

The Maranello4 is manufactured by the EFFIDI Automotive Group, and marketed in the UK by London based Sakura Battery Company. The all electric powered car has a top speed of 30 MPH and a range of around 45 miles on a charge. It is exempt from the London congestion charge and parking is free in many areas.

With the saving on fuel, the congestion charge, parking in London and zero road tax, the Maranello4 could almost pay for itself in the first year for many London buyers.

"Due to the demand in Europe delivery times are typically around six to eight weeks, but our partners EFFIDI are working to increase production, so we hope by the end of this year no one will have to wait more than four weeks" said Sakura Battery MD Dan Hornby.

For those looking for a longer range and higher top speed a hybrid diesel/electric version, with a top speed of 50 MPH and a range of 250 miles, will be available from September this year.

For more information on the Maranello4 contact Sakura Battery Co. Ltd. on tel: +44-(0)20-8896-1133, email: sales@sbsb.co.uk, or visit www.sbsbsb.com

Sakura Battery Co. Ltd. was established in 1992, they are the largest supplier of electric bikes in the UK with more than 150 dealers, and are also major suppliers of rechargeable batteries.

EFFIDI Automotive Group is the third largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Italy, and is also a leading manufacturer of small city cars.