Best buys: Eco-Cars

Best in class

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

For all the developments in battery and electric car technology, going electric still isn't easy and nor is it cheap. The Outlander PHEV is one of those cars that makes such a transition rather more palatable. It's a plugin hybrid, so there's still a perfectly ordinary 2.0-litre petrol engine and a fuel tank on board should you need to do a longer journey. Plug it into the mains, and charge up the batteries, and you should be able to get 50km out of the Outlander before the batteries run flat. Yes, its a but unexciting to look at (although a sharper-looking update is on the way) but it's pleasant to drive and well put together. And it costs a more €2,000 more than the equivalent diesel-engined model. Best one: Outlander 2.0 PHEV Intense + 4WD auto for €41,950.

Also consider

BMW i3

The i3’s slightly stubby, space-age looks won’t endear it to all, and it’s certainly the oddest-looking BMW since the Isetta bubble car of the fifties. But it’s also one of the first electric cars to be designed as electric from the ground up – there’s no petrol or diesel version, just a REX model that uses a tiny two-cylinder bike engine to charge up the batteries on the fly and give you an extra 100km or so of range. It is limited by that range, and is all but useless for longer journeys but around town, it cuts quite the silent dash and its interior is little short of fantastic.

Renault Zoe

Consider the Zoe as the high-tech, geeky cousin to the gorgeous little Clio supermini. It looks really rather cool, even if the slightly too-cheap-feeling interior is a bit of a let-down once you’ve seen the outside. Renault claims that the full-charge range will hit 200km, and while the battery does seem to drop alarmingly once you get out there and drive it, a little trust in the system (and the odd sweaty-palm moment) seems to confirm that it will go farther than you think. Temptingly low prices start at €17,490 but you have to factor in the monthly cost of leasing the batteries.

Worth waiting for

Tesla Model X

The Model X SUV is fast becoming something of a Unicorn for Tesla – much rumoured but never actually seen for real. Hopefully, it should be due for launch by the end of 2015, complete with slightly wacky gullwing rear doors. Sharing a platform with the Model S saloon means it will have four wheel drive and fearsome performance, but it won’t be cheap. For that, you’ll have to wait even longer to get your hands on Tesla’s much-discussed Model 3 saloon. Launches: Winter 2015 – possibly

Underrated

Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion

In among all the whizz-bang, high-tech plugin hybrids and battery electric cars, the good old 1.6 diesel Golf Bluemotion has just been getting on with providing maximum economy and minimal emissions for years now. It’s a heck of a lot more affordable than most electric cars, it will get a claimed 88mpg (more realistically, it’ll do 65mpg – still impressive) and on a cost-per mile basis, isn’t actually that much more expensive to run than a full electric car, especially with €180 a year motor tax. Plus, instead of stopping to top up with electrons every 160km or so, a full tank of diesel will keep the Bluemotion going for at least 1,000km, if driven reasonably carefully. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best…