A competition to design an innovative electric car was won by Michal Vlcek, a student at the Royal College of Arts

A London student’s vision which is more sci-fi than showroom has won a competition that invited designs for an innovative electric-powered car of the future.

Nir Siegel's highly commended design for an electric car of the future

The organisers of London Motorexpo, which takes place in Canary Wharf next week, tasked Royal College of Arts (RCA) students with designing the electric vehicle of 2032.

Michal Vlcek, a first-year student in the vehicle design department, has won the competition to design after impressing judges with his artwork and lateral thinking.

The electric motors that power his car are installed within the wheels to maximise interior space, and the rear lights are mounted on aerodynamic vanes that also help improve the car’s stability.

Instead of traditional doors that can interrupt the car’s exterior lines, Michal’s design opts for an innovative hinged access at the nose to allow access from the rear of the car.

Highly commended was a submission from Israel-born Nir Siegel whose design was for a quirky and petite city car, which places the driver in the centre of the cabin for maximum visibility, aided by an unusual diamond-pattern seating arrangement.

Graeme Carver, CEO of Motorexpo, said: “Motorexpo is a celebration of all things automotive, from supercars to the latest electric and hybrid models, so it’s great to be able to commission some innovative concepts for the show.

“The creative talent displayed in this competition is a credit to the RCA and to the students themselves, who I’m sure have great careers in the motor industry mapped ahead of them. I have no doubt we will be seeing some of their designs made real at future Motorexpo events.”

Electric and hybrid powertrain vehicles are being displayed and available for test drives during the Motorexpo event.

They will be among more than 250 cars on show, with organisers expecting a record 425,000 visitors.

Cars making their UK motor show debut will include Jaguar’s XF Sportbrake premium estate, the all-new BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class compact car and the all-new second-generation Kia cee’d family hatchback.

Motorexpo, which is free to enter, is open daily at Canary Wharf from 10am to 6pm from June 11 to 16 and 11am to 5pm on June 17.