Abstract The traditional model of high volume common platforms is not easily applicable to electric vehicle technologies. Car companies currently cannot justify the investment into a vehicle designed from the ground up for Electric drive, and instead are modifying conventional cars for electric power. Current EVs are therefore too expensive to buy, and too compromised for them to compete on an equal basis with conventional petrol/diesel cars. GEVCO and MIRA are developing a range of EVs and HEVs for companies collaborating in a unique ‘partner concept’ to assemble profitably and sell in direct competition with conventional cars.