Gordon Brown looks at the THINK City

PRIME MINISTER ­Gordon Brown boosted his green credentials last month when he staged a photo call in Downing Street with a fleet of ­electric cars.

The Government had been hosting a meeting of electric vehicle (EV) experts from around the world and ­announced it was putting £100m into developing ­technologies to make ­electric and hybrid cars more ­practical and affordable.

The PM and Transport ­Secretary Geoff Hoon seemed most taken with the Norwegian-made TH!NK City, which goes on sale here next year. It is certified as the first genuine electricity-­powered car, unlike ­previous EVs such as the G-Wiz and NICE Car, which are classed as quadricycles and not ­required to be crash-tested or meet EU safety standards.

The TH!NK has got more oomph to it, too. It can go up to 65 mph, is motorway-­certified and can do 126 miles of ­urban driving on a single full charge from an ­ordinary household socket. It’s 95 per cent recyclable and is made from a durable plastic ideal for ­London driving as it can’t be dented or scratched. Not ­surprisingly, it’ll cost you more than other EVs. The ­exact price is yet to be ­announced, but is expected to be about £14,000. There will also be a monthly rental fee of about £100 for the ­lithium ­polymer ­battery, which ­covers ­replacement should anything go wrong and safe disposal when it reaches the end of its life.

Despite the high running cost, you’ll spend only £100 on ­recharging for every 10,000 miles you drive, instead of an estimated £1,500 on petrol.

"Despite the high running cost, you’ll spend only £100 on ­recharging for every 10,000 miles you drive"

“We believe the TH!NK City will appeal to young ­professionals in London ­because it’s a realistic, credible and ­attractive ­alternative to the limited, compromised EVs available in the city so far,” says TH!NK UK’s MD ­Richard Blundell.

They might be limited, but quadricycle EVs have their ­attractions. For a start, they’re cheaper to buy and run. The two-seater, Chinese-made MyCar is the new model from its maker NICE (acronym for No Internal Combustion ­Engine). It has a top speed of 40mph with a range of a mere 40 miles, but it can be yours for just £8,995.

A nippy little style ­statement, the MyCar “has got form, funk and fashion,” ­declares NICE Car Company spokesman Nigel Wonnacott. It’s a ­departure from its ­bigger and more generic-looking ­compact car, the £11,499 Mega City, made in France.

The most familiar EV ­tootling about in London is the tiny G-Wiz, which has a cachet of celeb ­endorsements: Jonathan Ross and TV ­presenter Daisy Goodwin have been spotted in them.

Made in India by REVA, the latest version of this ­endearingly twee car, the G-Wiz i (£9,465), was launched in the UK recently. It features a “boost mode” giving it 40 per cent extra power, an ­advanced “­drivetrain” for a smoother ride, and better brakes.

Its top speed is 50 mph and the range is 48 miles. The lead acid batteries last two to three years and cost £1,795 to replace.