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Automotive technology and testing group MIRA has unveiled a "plugless plug-in hybrid" vehicle that it claims is a first. The H4V Hybrid 4-wheel-drive Vehicle is intended as a concept evaluation and is not intended for public sale.

The innovation that MIRA is claiming for the H4V is a battery pack that is arranged in three portable "cassettes" that can be removed singly or together from the vehicle. This means that they can be recharged outside the vehicle, so it isn't necessary to drive the car into a garage where a mains supply of electricity might be available.

Derek Charters, MIRA's advanced powertrain manager, said: "We've removed the primary limitation of the plug-in hybrid concept by allowing the battery pack to come to the mains, rather than having to park right next to a socket, which is more than a little difficult if you live in a terraced house or a flat."

The H4V is based on a Skoda Fabia and is a 50:50 hybrid with a 60kW petrol engine at the front and two 35kW electric motors powering the rear wheels. Overall, the combination returns fuel consumption of 64 miles/gallon on the EU urban fuel cycle, against 39 miles/gallon for the standard Fabia.

The battery pack is split into three units each capable of storing 30kW. The units could also power external devices and are lithium ion phospate batteries, which pack more power to the weight than conventional Li-ion batteries. The same technology is used in the separate low voltage circuit used for starting.

One of the aims of the MIRA team is to have a power unit that can be transferred into other products, such as camping equipment or quad bikes.

The H4V also includes regenerative braking and the powertrain developments have been matched by an aerodynamic redesign that achieves a Cd of 0.299.