For their low carbon vehicle solutions, some manufacturers are betting on hybrids, some on plug-in hybrids, others on electric, others still on hydrogen; Vauxhall instead thinks the future comes in the form of an electric car with unlimited range.

So you want an economical, low emission car, but with new technologies appearing all the time, do you choose petrol, diesel, hybrid, electric... or something else...?

You may have noticed that the world is going electric car mad, but if you want to buy one, it's not that easy; here's our guide to the top ten choices that are either here now or coming soon.

The MINI is surely the perfect base for an electric car - so does the MINI E drive as you would imagine?

Nissan claims it will be the first manufacturer to offer UK motorists a family hatchback that has been designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle.

GM’s HydroGen4 represents one of the next steps after the Ampera in GM’s progress towards ultra-low emission vehicles. More than 100 HydroGen4 vehicles are now under test, and Green-Car-Guide has driven one, as the European part of the world’s largest fuel cell vehicle fleet starts operation.

This is the future of cars according to Vauxhall. The Ampera is an electric car, but with a petrol engine to power the electric motor when the battery runs low.