California-based Tesla Motors, makers of the Roadster, has launched the right-hand drive version of the electric sports car in London.

The Roadster’s new version is now available for test-driving at the company’s London showroom at the Knightsbridge district.

Dubbed as the only highway-capable electric vehicle for sale worldwide, the Roadster can travel more than 200 miles per charge in mixed driving conditions. Tesla claims the Roadster accelerates faster than virtually any other car on the road, making it the only production car faster than a Porsche and twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius.

The car plugs into conventional 220-volt sockets and can be fully or partially recharged by solar or wind energy.

Other new features include noise-reduction materials and an upgraded sound system.

The Roadster starts at £86,950 ($138,000) and costs about 1.5 pence per mile compared to as much as 32 pence per mile for petro-powered sports cars.

The car is not covered by the London congestion charge, which saves Roadster drivers up to almost £1,700 annually. The car will also be exempt from the forthcoming showroom tax of £950.

The Roadster is the only sports car so far to qualify for a full writing down allowance, a kind of tax incentive that entitles British companies buying Roadsters to deduct the price of the cars from their taxable profits.

Roadster drivers can also park their vehicles for free and without time limits in various London boroughs, being entitled to as much as four hours of free charging at certain parking sites.

"The right-hand-drive model is our response to growing demand from high-performance car buyers in [Great Britain] who are also interested in their impact on the environment," said Cristiano Carlutti, Tesla's vice president for European sales and operations.

Around 1,000 units of the electric sports car have been released in 43 states and 21 countries.