Renault Twizy Z.E

Imagine a clean, silent scooter with much of the stability and safety of a car and you’ve got the Twizy! The futuristic looks of the concept will be toned down by its launch in autumn 2011, but the in-line twin seats and that slim, 1.1m-width for easy city nipping will remain.

>>READ OUR ROAD TEST OF THE TWIZY Z.E

And it could be open sided too – depending on the market it’ll either be weather-proof, open or switchable between the two.

The Spanish-built zero-emission runabout will have a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 45mph – more than enough for city work. With more and more chargepoints popping up in urban spaces, it could handle a pretty hefty commute if needed.

And it’ll fun: driving the concept, we discovered a sharp throttle response, accurate steering and excellent manoeuvrability. At a likely cost of around £4,000, the Twizy could be 2012’s hottest plaything!