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BMW is working on a hybrid battery car with a range of over 400 miles and the UK government is giving the German automaker the green light to test it on public roads.
The hybrid car will be able to travel at up to 160mph and has been developed by a consortium led by the European company.
Britain is also testing a similar vehicle, the BMW eXperience, which has a range up to 200 miles.
But the UK has so far only been given the go-ahead for trials in the northern England region, and it is not yet clear whether it will be allowed to use the UK’s roads for trials at the same time as the BMW hybrid.
David Biddulph, head of corporate development at BMW UK, said the company was “very excited” about the prospect of the UK trials.
“This will help us understand the performance and environmental benefits of the technology,” he said.
BMW says the BMW EXperiance will have a range range of around 100 miles (161km), a similar range to that of its hybrid model.
It will also be able get to 60mph (86kph) in less than five seconds and can travel at speeds of up to 180mph (299km/h).
The company is also looking at the possibility of making a more fuel-efficient version of the BMW i3, with a top speed of around 200mph (328km/hr) in just over five seconds.
However, it is unclear whether the BMW X3, which is also being tested in the north, will be capable of similar performance and emissions.
