1) Mitsubishi i-MiEV

The i-MiEV from Mitsubishi is likely to be one of the first mainstream electric vehicles available in Ireland and we've driven one on the streets of Dublin and found it really very good. Expect around 160km from a full charge and it is as easy to drive as any small petrol-powered city car. Expect it to cost around €30,000 when it arrives next year.

2) Tesla Roadster

The 100 per cent electric-powered Roadster takes 3.9 seconds to get to 100km/h and will cost around €100,000. Deliveries are due to start later this year in Europe, but with Tesla already behind on orders in the US, it might take a while before we see this car on our roads.

3) Reva i

Available for sale right now, for under €10,000, the Reva is a fully functional electric vehicle but does feel a little on the flimsy side, as has been shown by its poor performances in crash tests. The Reva i has a range of 80km and is capable of a top speed of 75km/h. A version with lithium-ion batteries is also available, which increased the range to up to 120km. There have also been improvements made to safety.

4) Mini E

Mini showed what it could do with the Mini earlier this year as part of a project and as a result, there are now 500 all-electric Minis on Californian roads. This car can travel 250km on a single two to three hour charge from a special 48-amp charging point. We've driven this car and it has awesome power, equivalent to the 200hp offered by the Mini Cooper S. The lack of back seats is drawback.

5) BYD

This car might only be available in China for now, but don't rule out seeing it over in this part of the world in the future. As well as being a car manufacturer, the firm BYD (build your dreams) is also the world's largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, which is handy. That means it can travel 100km on a full charge. It is on sale in China today, but could be sold abroad next year.

6) Tesla Model S

It might be just a prototype and some photos at the moment but if the Model S lives up to its billing, it will be the electric vehicle to own. With a range of 480km, the ability to charge in 45 minutes, 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds and the potential to seat five adults and two children, the Model S sounds almost too good to be true. Deliveries are due to start in 2011 and in the U.S; prices are due to start at $49,900 (about €37,500).

7) Dodge Circuit

While there has been a lot of attention paid to the Chevy Volt, which isn't a fully electric car, over at Chrysler, they have unveiled their offering in the form of the Dodge Circuit. The recipe is quite simple. Take one Lotus Europa, strip out the petrol engine in the original car, to be replaced by a 200kW electric engine located directly over the rear axle. Batteries then fill the floor space between it and the seat backs. Expect 0-100km/h times of 4.8 seconds and Dodge claims a range of around 320km, which would be pretty impressive.

8) Smart EV

The Smart never really took off here in Ireland, but perhaps an electric version would, with rumours that Tesla is set to help Mercedes-Benz with its battery technology. The Smart EV is being used in London as a test vehicle for borough councils but we can probably expect a production version in the not-too-distant future.

9) Nissan EV

The prototypes we have seen so far have been based on the Nissan Cube, but Nissan is closer than most to producing an accessible electric vehicle and it should be one of the first cars available for sale in Ireland. Nissan isn't giving much away yet on this new car, but our money is that it will have some of the styling cues from Nissan Nuvu concept shown at last year's Paris Motor Show.

10) Aptera

Looking like a cross between a Cessna and a tricycle, the Aptera is actually going on sale towards the end of this year. With enough room for two people, three sets of golf clubs or 22 bags of groceries, its makers claim that it has a guaranteed range of 160km, even with the car laden and the air conditioning on full blast. In California - the only place it will be initially available - 3,500 people have put down deposits for the car.