TWO Swindon engineers have impressed the Prime Minister with their electric-powered mini at the Zero Emissions Vehicle Summit.

Swindon Powertrain, a high-performance car specialist, showed off their latest prototype at the two-day summit in Birmingham.

Engineers from the company went along with their conversion of a classic mini which caught the eye of the PM.

Ian Stone, manager of electrical and controls at the firm near Drake's Way, told the Adver:

“There was a Nissan Leaf, and the new electric London taxi, but I think she was particularly taken by the Mini which attracted her.

"I think when most people see a mini they remember having one. It’s recognised throughout the UK and the world as an iconic classic and we saw a commercial opportunity converting those classic minis.

“She was interested in what we’d done. It was good to talk to her, very easy person to talk to.

"The ambition is to take it into production. We’re already working on the designs from the manufacturing. So we’re changing the designs. Hopefully by the end of next year we’ll be able to start building the cars."

The project involved designing and fitting a new battery pack and gear box and motor into the classic iconic model.

It has a battery life of over a hundred miles on the road, and running on a standard charger, can do an overnight charge in eight hours.

The company has also developed an electronic mountain bike, the Swind EB-01, capable of reaching 60mph using a high-powered electric motor sat within the frame. It can travel up to 80 miles and only takes 90 minutes to charge.

Theresa May announced a £106 million package for projects developing innovative green batteries and refuelling technology at the summit. An international declaration was also signed ‘The Birmingham Declaration’ to promote zero emission vehicles and infrastructure around the world.