1.   Seers now say that the petrol car will eventually be replaced by a battery-powered version.

2.   With nine petrol cars being sold to every one diesel, scarcity keeps resale prices up.

3.   This year saw the introduction of new EEC legislation which effectively requires all petrol cars to be fitted with catalysts to clean up exhaust pollution.

4.   The process is slightly different than that for manufacturing catalysts for petrol cars.

5.   The hatchback model will be much more expensive than a comparable petrol car, a company spokesman admitted.

6.   Most potential buyers, or devotees of BMW petrol cars, will be curious about how this piece of German engineering adapts to diesel power.

7.   So the efficiency of electric cars is, in fact, comparable with petrol cars.