We review SWINCAR e-Spider at Betteshanger Country Park near Deal

Betteshanger Country Park has become the first location in the UK where thrill-seekers can get behind the wheel of an exciting off-road electric vehicle called the e-Spider.

Invented by a French engineer, the 4x4 is able to handle all kinds of terrain thanks to its unique tilting design based on a pendulum. We sent reporter Rhys Griffiths to put it through its paces...

Barely minutes into my first time behind the wheel of this rather funny-looking car, I burst out laughing, a grin spread a mile wide across my face.

I was expecting to enjoy my afternoon thrashing this nimble little off-road ride around the expanses of Betteshanger's parkland near Deal. But I had absolutely no idea it would be this much fun.

The brainchild of Frenchman Pascal Rambaud, the SWINCAR e-Spider is designed to handle whatever you can throw at it across all kinds of terrain.

While I am chuckling maniacally to myself I am also getting a better and better feel for what this machine can do.

It's battery-powered, with motors sending power independently to all four of its rugged wheels with just the slightest push of my thumb on the throttle.

Mike Rushton, who acquired the licence to bring the vehicles to the UK and runs the operation at Betteshanger, explains the cars are better suited to rougher, looser surfaces rather than asphalt.

And he's not wrong. Once you start to feel more confident with the handling and the power being fed to the four wheels, you'll soon be planting it into corners on gravel tracks and feeling the whole thing go sideways as you emerge in a cloud of dust.

Since the 4x4s first became available for the public to drive, Mike says the reaction has been universally positive from those who have given it a go.

"Anybody who's been on it has just walked off with a massive smile on their face," he said.

"I don't think we've had a single person get off yet and go, 'I don't like that'. Everybody loves it."

My hour or two spent thrashing around the countryside in the nippy little e-Spider showed me exactly why people are loving the hour-long tours Mike and his team run through the park.

Our route takes us through a whole host of different landscapes, weaving through trees one moment, racing across open hills the next.

These cars really can do it all, and at one point Mike encourages us to push them closer to the limit by speeding down a sharp incline, cornering hard, then shooting back up the steep slope to where we started.

The e-Spider takes it all in its stride, full throttle and you just eat up the ground.

An added bonus is you can enjoy all the thrills and spills a petrol-head could wish for, but with none of the environmental impact.

"They're such a compelling proposition for me," Mike explained after our session.

"What drew me to them is that they are fully electric, eco-friendly, environmentally-friendly, and they're accessible to probably 90% of the population.

"Even if you've got a disability and you suffer from restricted movement, say you are in a wheelchair, you can drive one of these cars and you can get out into the countryside.

"That's what it's all about for us. Letting as many people as possible experience our countryside, which is fantastic, in a way that is fun and good for the environment."

Betteshanger may be the first place in the UK where people can experience the e-Spider, but Mike is already looking further afield.

He says he hopes that once the Kent location is fully bedded down he will hopefully be able to offer similar experiences in Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and the Midlands.

Driving back to the drop-off point at the end of our tour, it's incredible to see just how much these strange little vehicles can turn heads.

People we pass seem to do a double take as the e-Spider whizzes by, making barely a sound thanks to its electric motors.

Unstrapping myself and removing my helmet, I am convinced these will catch on. It's a genuinely exhilarating way to get outside, enjoy our countryside and get the adrenaline flowing.

Tours cost £40 per person for two in a tandem, with a guaranteed one hour of driving time. For more information visit swincaruk.com.

And, for the time being, Kent is the only place you can experience the e-Spider. I'd highly recommend it.