There once was a time when green cars themselves seemed like a futuristic notion. Talk of electric vehicles, biofuels and hybrids seemed like something straight from the space age. However, now here we are in a generation where these visions are very much a reality and are rapidly expanding in popularity.

So if the future is now the present… what does the new future hold for green cars? Will their popularity continue to expand and will they have a serious impact on the motoring industry? And of course, what will we all be driving in the years to come? This article will offer our own predictions and a preview of what to expect.

Why the future is now

In many respects the future for green cars is already emerging. Take for example the EcoJet, a prototype GM that was unveiled in October 2006. It is, by any standards, a vision of the future - shaped somewhat like the Batmobile and with a 650bhp engine that runs on biodiesel fuel.

It’s not just in terms of their looks however that green cars are developing. There are new concepts constantly being introduced to the market that may well hold the key to how we’ll all be driving in the future.

For example in January 2007 at an Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors introduced the E-Flex - a pioneering propulsion system for battery-powered electric cars that uses a traditional engine to create additional electricity from petrol, diesel, hydrogen or ethanol.

Further to electrics, hybrids and ethanol-powered cars there are also a number of hydrogen fuel cells emerging. The aim is for these to replace conventional engines although hydrogen internal combustion engines have also emerged, and have been trialled by BMW, which run with both hydrogen and petrol.

Other alternatives being introduced include cars powered on natural gas - a Honda Civic has been trialled in New York and California that can be refuelled at home using an appliance called a “Phill”. Plug-in hybrids have also emerged in America with Ford releasing the Ford Edge HySeries Drive SUV prototype that combines a hydrogen fuel cell with lithium-ion batteries and has zero emissions. It can be refuelled by simply plugging it into an electrical socket.

How green cars will impact the motoring industry

The fact that manufacturers are already spending millions developing new concepts for green cars is a clear sign that they are the future - and eventually production of diesel and petroleum cars will halt in favour of cleaner, greener alternatives.

For example, the Israeli government has recently endorsed a plan to install an electric car network in the country by 2011 with half a million recharging stations across the nation.

The concept has been branded ‘dreamy’ and ‘unrealistic’ in some circles, but with so much of the earth’s resources used in the last century a mass-marketing strategy for electric vehicles may not be as far-fetched at it seems. Though it’s unlikely to emerge in the UK in the next few years, perhaps we can look at 10-20 years as a more realistic period for an idea like this to be implemented.

One thing is for certain - green cars will continue to grow in popularity and that in turn will create more demand. Even motorists who aren’t particularly environmentally motivated will be drawn to the money saving advantages of owning a green car - such as more miles to the litre (or no refuelling costs at all) and lower tax and insurance premiums.

More demand equals more production and with additional Government-implemented schemes emerging, don’t be surprised to see a target set for a switch over to electric or hybrid vehicles.

Green cars of the future

So what vehicles can we expect to be driving in ten years time? Certainly there are some exciting possibilities.

At an LA Auto Show, many of the green cars of the future were unveiled. These included:

• Acura FX 2020 Le Mans - This stylish super car relies on a fuel cell that has not yet been invented. The proposed hydrogen cell would be tested in a Le Mans race, prompting the name. The car will also be made out of fully recyclable materials.

• Honda Extreme - A two-seater with changeable body panels. The chassis can be recycled after five years.

• Kia Sandstorm - A biodiesel/electric plug-in hybrid dune buggy with solar-powered cooling and built-in recycle bins. After several years the body could be switched and recycled for a whole new look.

• Mini Biomoke - The style icon will be around for a long time yet, but with a very different look if the Mini Biomoke is any indication. This is a futuristic version of the Mini Moke, an off-roader that was produced in the 1960s. However, its body can be formed from a single sheet of biodegradable panelling and at the end of its life cycle it would be composed to grow palm trees.

• Toyota RLV - An aluminium two-seater which could be pedalled like a bicycle because it has dual powertrains - with electric power used for higher speeds.

• Volkswagen Nanospyder - Perhaps the most dazzling of all of the green cars of the future, the Volkswagen Nanospyder could be assembled, disassembled and reassembled on a microscopic level. The car also features sensors that forewarn of impending collisions.

Certainly these concepts are futuristic and many may not emerge as mainstream alternatives - though they do show a common trend in the use of recyclable materials.

Over the next decade therefore perhaps we can look towards more cars being developed with recyclable parts as well as an alternative to petroleum and diesel breaking through into the mainstream in the way hybrid cars have emerged presently. Hydrogen fuel cells appear to be the most realistic long-term solution, alongside the potential for further expansion of electric cars.

With resources for oil running low it’s clear that whichever way vehicle production develops in the years to come, green is the colour of the future.