A local research institute will work with a Chinese technology firm to develop and put more than 100 electric vehicles on the roads here from the second quarter of this year.

The Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), has signed an agreement with BYD, well known for making electric vehicles.

The electric cars will feature electronic controls that drivers can use to activate the brakes, control the steering and operate other systems in the vehicle.

Each car will also be fitted with sensors that will track driving patterns in real-time. The goal is to eventually use the data gathered to create a autonomous vehicle, or driverless, fleet management system for the cars.

The institute's executive director Lee Shiang Long said: "With I2R's expertise in the autonomous vehicle technologies, BYD's vast experience in electric vehicles and strong support from the relevant Singapore authorities, we hope to benefit the transport industry in Singapore and countries all over the world."

BYD Asia-Pacific Auto Sales Group general manager Liu Xueliang said intelligent cars will be "one of the most important directions" for the transportation industry in future.

He said: "We believe that a new energy vehicle embedded with autonomous driving technologies will provide drivers with a completely different driving experience."