An electric car - the 'Electric Sparrow' - was launched in California (US) in 2000. An eight foot long three-wheeler, the one-seater Sparrow had a top speed of 70mph, electric windows and a CD player. It was powered by a normal 12 volt battery which could be recharged from the mains in a couple of hours, and had a range of about 60 miles.

When we checked progress in October 2006, we found that the original manufacturers, Corbin Motors, had sold the car to another car manufacturer, Myers Motors, who had renamed it the 'Myers NmG' (No more Gas), and downgraded the capacity of one charge to 30 miles. The eye-catching three-wheeler Myers NmG is now promoted principally as a socially-responsible shopper's car or as a promotional vehicle for new products or special events.

For more information contact Myers Motors: 180 South Ave, Tallmadge, Ohio 44278, USA Tel. 00 1 866 693 7778 email: sales@myersmotors.com www.myersmotors.com

Back in 2000 we reported the launch in California (US) of a new one-seater car called the Electric Sparrow. Powered by a single 12 volt battery which could be fully recharged in two hours, it had a top speed of 70mph. One charge could take the car 60 miles.
When we checked progress in October 2006, we found that the original manufacturers, Corbin Motors, had sold the car to another car manufacturer, Myers Motors, who had renamed it the 'Myers NmG' (No more Gas), and downgraded the capacity of one charge to 30 miles. The eye-catching three-wheeler Myers NmG is now promoted principally as a socially-responsible shopper's car or as a promotional vehicle for new products or special events.
For more information contact Myers Motors: 180 South Avenue, Tallmadge, Ohio 44278, USA % 00 1 866 693 7778 email: sales@myersmotors.com website: www.myersmotors.com

BMW say that their range of hydrogen cars will be on sale by 2007. No slouch, its 7-series saloon is capable of 135mph and has a range of 180 miles on a tank containing 9.5kg of hydrogen. In UK terms that's 16 miles per gallon.

• The current price of hydrogen in Munich is 60 pence/litre (£2.72/gallon)

• The only exhaust emission is steam, condensing in the air into water pure enough to drink. To extract hydrogen from water one passes a weak current through it - electrolysis. At present, of course, the necessary electricity is generated by either extremely polluting conventional power stations or extremely dangerous nuclear power stations. BP plan to power its commercial electrolysis plants with clean, renewable electricity from solar and wind power

Britain's first hydrogen filling station (BP) opened in London in 2002. Its first customers were buses, one of the worst polluting vehicles.