InsideJapan News Network

Motoring enthusiasts in Japan have been given a glimpse of the future, after an electric car that can do more than 330km on a single charge was unveiled.

The SIM-LEI, which has been developed by SIM-Drive, has more than twice the range of the recently released Nissan Leaf electric car, AFP reports.

It is hoped that the prototype will be sold to major manufacturers, and since Mitsubishi Motors partly funded the project, they are likely to be interested.

The main opposition to electric cars focuses on their short range, when compared with petrol cars, the lack of available points for charging up and the high price of the batteries.

However, the SIM-LEI, which is due to be available to buy in 2013, may solve many of these problems.

Earlier this week, the BBC reported that a new noise is being developed for electric cars to alert pedestrians that their presence and thereby reduce the risk of road traffic accidents.

Written by Susan Ballion