The Best Small, Stylish Vehicles For Low-Carbon Living

For those wanting to lower their carbon footprint and make more planet-conscious choices, here's a drop of the most stylish options for short trips every day (say, shopping, the school run, your local workspace, visiting family and friends) with zero emissions, while staying uber stylish. The ultimate electric accessory, you might say.

Electric Moke

"This isn’t an everyday affair, but rather the best toy in the world."

Top of the tree for a design-led statement about your life is the Electric Moke. It’s a true '70s throwback to those Algarve family holidays when you begged your parents for a Mini Moke at the rental place and they refused due to boring “practicality” reasons. With a range of 50 miles (but just four hours’ charge time), no doors and a throw-on vinyl roof, this isn’t an everyday affair, but rather the best toy in the world, especially in bright orange paint with white bull bars. We did the school run in it, and had a queue of children (and mums) wanting to sit in it and coo. Utterly joyful, with plenty of room for four, and the ability to put a smile on everyone’s face. At £35,000, It’s massively expensive for what it is, making it the probable toy of hotels, golf courses, country estates and the uber-wealthy. Love it. Find a petrol Moke here.

Renault Twizy

Equally as impractical and bonkers as the Moke, the Renault Twizy is half motorbike, half buggy. Two people sit in, one behind the other and you pull down the half-scissor doors (you can specify 'weather' top halves as an extra if you’re a wimp). Like the Moke, the range is about 50 miles so it’s very much one for shops and local commutes, but boy, is it a laugh to travel round town in. Parking is a breeze. Sadly Renault doesn’t make them anymore, although it’s bringing out the Twizy’s successor, the Duo, soon. Find a used Twizy here.

BMC Roadmachine 01 AMP XOne

Ignore the ridiculously long-winded name, presumably to make you look like you know what you’re doing, and just look at the sleek lines of this electric bicycle, in powder blue with black handles and wheels. We like the road/offroad set-up, which means this tarmac- and gravel-hugger could be the most practical transport on this list, suitable for roads and towpaths. And you won’t build up a sweat on the way to the station or shops thanks to the battery which gives you a boost up to 15mph. Read more about the Roadmachine here.

Seat Mo

As far as two wheels and electric living go, you can pedal a bit yourself, or let the battery and motor take the strain entirely, with an electric scooter. The Seat Mo is our sparky scooter of choice, and here’s why: you can remove the battery when you’re parked up back at home, and carry it into your flat to recharge overnight. Neat or what? It’s easy to ride and oh, so cheap to run. We love the brand’s big red circle on the side. Buy it in the luminous yellow because, why not? Be proud about your plugged-in street cred. Find a Seat Mo here.

Citroen Ami

The Ami is a four-wheel cart for French teenagers to whip around Paris in, beeping their way through traffic. It’s not technically a car, but rather a quadricycle, meaning in France you can drive it from the age of 14, as it has very little power from its dinky battery and a top speed of 28mph. In the UK, if you’re 16 and have your moped licence, you can also drive one. It takes up half a parking space, comes in matt grey with orange or bright yellow blobs of colour, and one door opens from the front, the other from the rear, in case you get a ding and need to swap them round. There’s even a hook for your shopping bags. I know which I'd rather my teenage son was travelling in. Beep! Beep! Find an Ami here.