If you're a car owner and starting to feel the pinch (or more accurately the vice-like grip) of rising fuel prices and threatened car tax rises, perhaps now is the time to trade in your gas guzzler for something more green. (For my latest rant about gas guzzlers, check out the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s blog on 15 May).

  

Car clubs are seeing a dramatic surge in membership as fuel prices soar. Streetcar has 7,000 new members in just over two months and Zipcar's CEO claims his company is growing more than 100% per year worldwide. Most car clubs include fuel as part of your hourly charge (within limits). For instance, Streetcar includes free fuel for up to 30 miles per calendar day, with a 23p per mile charge after that.

 

Car clubs are brilliant (we love ours) and members tend to reduce their car usage up to 70% after joining (all the increased walking has got to be good for the nation's collective waistline). Unfortunately most car club models are still petrol pushers. If you want to go greener in the garage, take another look at the G-Wiz (below, from GoinGreen). The 2008 model has improved safety features (revamped crumple zones, new side impact beams in the doors) to quell concerns about earlier crash test results. The new model (approx £9,100-9,500) can reach a top speed of 50mph, travels up to 48 miles on one charge and can be fully charged from a household plug in eight hours. It is zero-rated for vehicle excise duty, exempt from the Congestion Charge, is eligible for free parking in many parts of central London and qualifies for a discount on residents' parking permits in many boroughs.