Our roads are full of all sorts of cars. Big ones, small ones, sports ones, fast, slow – you name it, they’re there. But over the past decade we’ve seen a new breed of car seep into the mainstream – the eco car.

They’ve been selling well, but the way they’re sold is going to have to change. Lest the consumer is angered. You see, there are loads of types of eco car. Each is suited to a specific environment and driving style – sadly no one manufacturer makes one that suits everyone’s needs. Well, not yet anyway.

Consumers all drive differently. Some hit the motorway hard, others potter about town, some want something for a blat around the villages and some use their cars for sporadic drives anywhere. So which is for them? You have to ask. Because a customer saying ‘I want an eco car’ is going to have one of two ideas in their heads: Prius or Leaf. And the likelihood is – they don’t want/need either.

If he’s a motorway man the Leaf is out of the question because it’ll run out of charge before he gets home; the Prius makes little sense too – the hybrid system is smart in town, but not on the M1.

‘The Leaf costs £31k, which is a little dear for a car with the interior of a fridge.’

So they’d need something Volvo DRIVe or Skoda Greenline II-y. Small diesel with big torque and plenty of comfort. No compromise needed there, either (unless it’s a Fabia. They’re a bit too small. 89g/km though).

If your driver prefers to stick to town, then the Prius/ Leaf make sense. The Leaf is cheap to run, easy to drive and has plenty of space. But costs £31k, which is a little dear for a car with the interior of a fridge. The Prius (or an Auris Hybrid/any of the Lexus offerings) makes decent sense for them, because you can run on full ‘leccy mode in town, which is free. And therefore good.

What about our mixed driver? Fun AND eco? Tricky. The Honda CR-Z would fit in there, but it’s neither fun nor overly eco because it runs the wrong hybrid set-up. So point him in the direction of a Lotus Elise. The 1.6-litre model is (comparatively) eco-friendly. And it’s brilliant fun. The roads are changing, but dealers have to be ready to find a car that suits the driver. Buyers are looking out for their wallet more than trees, but they need the right tool to be frugal…

Who is Alex Goy?

He’s a motoring journalist with a lot to say. He also produces a brilliant podcast. Check it out by typing bit.ly/alexgoy into a browser