A pioneering initiative by City of York Council has brought a Millennium vision of tomorrow a little step closer.

For all the debate raging about how to keep motorists out of York's city centre, the reality is the car is probably here to stay.

But if you can't keep the cars out, why not at least make sure they're clean and quiet?

Now the city council appears to have taken the first step in the right direction - with the introduction of two futuristic electric cars.

The new electric van and electric Peugeot 106 hatchback will be used to buzz staff quietly and cleanly around the city - without pumping pollution into the air.

The Peugeot, charged from a normal mains plug, costs just 40p to recharge - and can travel up to 40 miles between charges. Who needs that £1-00 a litre petrol?

It's good to see the city council leading by example and bringing this vision of the future to the ancient streets of York.

Because who knows where it may end? If this is a taste of things to come, one day we may be able to journey unencumbered from city to city by electric train, step out of the station, stroll to the nearest collection point, and with just a swipe of a card take off in a waiting electric hire car. No need to worry about parking, then. Just leave the car at the nearest collection point: and when you're ready to move on again, take another.

A dream, perhaps. But if the city council has indeed taken the first step towards cheap electric transport, probably no one but the oil companies will feel sorry.