Electric cars at the 2010 Paris Motor Show

Almost every car maker had an electric car or two on display at this year's Paris Motor Show. We take a look at them all, from the wildest concept cars to those primed for the big time.

Here's something French and exotic to kick things off. Exagon is a start-up French sports car maker that hopes to have its Furtive-eGT electric coupe on sale in France by late 2012.

The Furtive-eGT is powered by two 125kW electric engines that deliver a combined 480Nm of torque to the car's three-speed transmission. This is good, it's claimed, for a top speed of 287km/h and a zero to 100km/h time of 3.6 seconds.

According to the company's calculations range is about 307km. At some stage in the future buyers will be able to opt for a petrol engine range extender that stretches the range to 807km.

No word on what the price might be, but the Furtive-eGT's sound system features a Hopman sound transfer system that uses the cabin's materials as its speakers.

Niche Monaco-based French auto maker Venturi had two cars on display at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

One of which was the revised Fetish (above) that now features a 224kW electric motor, a claimed zero to 100km/h time of under four seconds and a top speed of 200km/h.

A maximum of 10 Fetishes will be handmade annually. The €300,000 (AU$420,000) price tag includes two years of over-the-air servicing via Wi-Fi or GPRS.

This off-road buggy features the same 224kW electric motor from the Fetish and has a claimed range of up to 300km from its Lithium-ion battery pack. No price has been announced yet.

Since late 2009, the electric ForTwo has been available for lease in Europe. The rear-mounted 30kW/120Nm electric engine mightn't make the ForTwo Electric Drive that quickest car around, but its Lithium-ion battery pack is good for about 135km of driving.

Scooters and environmental consciousness are cool in Europe right now, so it makes sense that Smart is toying around with the idea of an electric scooter. The EScooter has a top speed of 45km/h and a range of up to 100km. It somehow manages to also include an airbag, anti-lock brakes and blind spot assistance into its small frame.

Weighing around 22kg, the EBike features a small electric motor that can provide a boost for, say, arduous uphill climbs. The electric boosts cuts out at speeds in excess of 25km/h — this is done to allow riders to use their EBike without a driving licence. A three-hour charge gives at least 30km of assistance.

As with the EScooter, a smartphone can be plugged into the EBike to function as a speedometer, heart rate monitor and "key" to activate the motor.

Not to be outdone, BMW's Mini brand also had two electric scooters on display in Paris: a two-seater (pictured above) and a single seater (next page).

Like Smart's EBike and EScooter, a smartphone dock acts as both a key and an instrument display.

Making its world debut at Paris 2010, the A-Class E-Cell features a 70kW/290Nm electric engine and a set of Lithium-ion batteries offering a range of over 200km.

Want one? Unfortunately, the company is only planning on producing and leasing 500 A-Class E-Cells to "selected customers" in and around Germany.

Also on the stand at the Paris show was Mercedes' already available for lease B-Class F-Cell. The B-Class' 100kW/290Nm electric engine is fed not by a bank of batteries, but by a fuel cell that combines hydrogen (stored in an on-board tank) with atmospheric oxygen to produce water and electricity. A full tank of hydrogen should provide around 400km of driving.

It looks like a concept car, but the Renault Twizy is almost a reality. Due for sale in Europe during the second half of 2011 for about the price of a three-wheeled scooter, the Twizy seats two — a driver and a passenger in tandem.

The Twizy will come in two forms: one with a top speed of 75km/h, the other limited to 45km/h. The former requires a driver's licence in all EU countries, the former avoids that hassle in some jurisdictions.

Both versions are powered 15kW/57Nm electric engine. Weighing just 450kg, the Twizy has a claimed range of 100km and takes about three-and-a-half hours to fully charge.

The ZE (zero emission) version of the Fluence sedan — essentially a Megane with a boot — goes on sale in Europe in the middle of 2011 with a price of about €26,000 (AU$36,700). Owners will have to fork over €79 (AU$111) a month to lease the car's batteries though.

A 70kW/226Nm electric engine is fed by a Lithium-ion battery pack that takes between six and eight hours to fully charge up. If that's too long, the batteries can be quickly removed and replaced at a Better Place battery swap station. Range is pegged at 160km, with the top speed limited to 135km/h.

Also going on sale in Europe in mid-2011 is Renault's first electric van. To be priced from €20,000 (AU$28,200), battery rental will cost €72 (AU$102) a month.

The electric Kangoo features a 44kW/226Nm electric motor and has a range of 160km from its Lithium-ion battery pack. A full charge takes between six and eight hours; like the Fluence, the Kangoo's battery pack is also swappable at a Better Place station.

Renault's Japanese half, Nissan, will start selling its all-electric Leaf in Europe from early 2011 for just a smidge under €30,000 (AU$42,000). Unlike the Renaults, though, the Leaf's battery is included in its sale price.

The Leaf is powered with an 80kW/280Nm electric engine that's limited to a top speed of 140km/h. Range is estimated to be 160km and the navigation system features an easy-to-access list of nearby charging points or Better Place battery swap stations.

The Leaf is due on sale in Australia some time in 2012.

For more information, check out in-depth Leaf preview and photo gallery.

It's a bit of a mouthful, but this electrified Octavia wagon is due to be produced in limited numbers for an evaluation fleet.

The glass tiles at the bottom of the picture were spring-loaded, so as visitors approached the Octavia they would generate a small amount of electricity to fill up the car's battery pack.

The horribly titled Octavia has an electric engine that can deliver up to 85kW in short bursts or 60kW on a constant basis. Top speed is limited to 135km/h and range is estimated to be about 140km on a full charge.

The forgotten child of the Volkswagen family, Seat wheeled out a sporty electric hatchback dubbed the IBE — technically it's named IB to the power of E, but that's just too hard to write.

The Mini-sized electric car claims to have a 75kW/200Nm electric motor, a zero to 100km/h time of 9.4 seconds and a range of around 130km.

Soon to be produced on a limited scale, the electric C30 is powered with an 82kW electric engine, which is fed by a bevy of Lithium-ion batteries that should be good for up to 150km of driving.

Mitsubishi's electric jelly-bean, aka the i MiEV, is already available in Japan and Australia.

For more information, check out our i MiEV preview.

As anyone who has ever visited France knows, the French love French cars almost to exclusion to all else. So it makes sense that there will be a Citroen-badged version of the i MiEV.

Oh, and there's also a Peugeot version too. Apart from the badges, the occasional bit of piano-black plastic and lightly revised interiors, all three versions of the i MiEV are virtually indistinguishable.

Unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the oddly shaped BB1 is an electric urban runabout.

We're not sure how aerodynamic the reverse-angle bubble windscreen is, but Peugeot claims that this 2.5m long vehicle can seat four.

The BB1 has an electric for each rear wheel delivering a total 15kW. The lithium ion batteries can power the car for up to 120km.

First unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, this was CNET Australia's first chance to see striking Survolt in the flesh.

Since its first outing, the paint scheme has been changed to two-tone matte grey and gloss black, with light blue highlights. Apart from the fact that the drivetrain's electric, we still know very little about the Survolt.

Revealed months in advance, the world finally got to see the real Renault Dezir for the first time at the 2010 Paris show.

The electric engine that's mounted behind the driver and passenger is an upgrade to the one that will grace Renault's upcoming range of electric cars. In the Dezir it can push out 110kW of power and 226Nm of torque, with the lithium ion batteries good for 160km of driving between charges.

Styled by the company's new head designer, the Dezir gives a hint to styling direction of future Renaults.

Standing beside the production-ready Leaf, the Townpod is an electric van.

The Townpod's flowing dashboard is devoid mechanical switches, with everything operated via stalks and a touchscreen monitor.

According to Nissan, the Townpod features the same electric drivetrain as the Leaf.

Okay, this is a future production model masquerading as a concept car, but with its motor show features (undersized mirrors, oversized wheels, concealed door handles and the like), the Zoe looks the goods.

One of a range of electric vehicles on show at Renault's stand, the Zoe is about the size of a Clio and due for launch in 2012. The lithium batteries take between six to eight hours to fully charge up and can power the 60kW/222Nm electric engine for up to 160km.

Not only is the preview Zoe's interior endowed with a plant, the cabin is meant to act like a spa, with the car's central screen practising light therapy on the occupants as you drive. The climate control system also includes a humidifier, scent diffuser and monitors outside air quality, automatically shutting the vents as necessary.

First seen at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, the FT-EV II is an electric concept car with a claimed range of 90km and a top speed of about 100km/h.

Like the similarly sized iQ, the FT-EV II features four seats.

We're not sure we'd be entirely comfortable driving in a car with a see through section below the dashboard.

Possibly one of the most unfortunate names to ever grace a concept car, the Revolte is a Mini-sized hybrid vehicle.

Unlike the Mini, which emphasises its sporty heritage, the Revolte is targetted at luxury minded buyers with the cabin said to seat three people in lounge-like comfort.

Not much has revealed about the Revolte's hybrid drivetrain, except that it can run in electric-only mode. Also, the car's bonnet is covered solar cells capable of powering the car's convenience features.