FLEETS may be able to buy one vehicle and just as they now choose trim level and colour, they may also be able to choose the kind of propulsion system they want. At last year's Tokyo Motor Show, General Motor's Chevrolet division launched the Triax, which was also in Detroit, which can be powered by a traditional internal combustion engine, electric battery or electric/petrol power - the choice is yours.

The Triax bodyshell is a four-door, five-passenger urban activity vehicle with the choice of two or four-wheel-drive depending on the chosen form of propulsion. Bob Purcell, executive director of General Motors advanced technology vehicles, said: 'In five or six years' time consumers could have the choice of different fuels available in the same vehicle body. A multi-propulsion vehicle is a very cost-effective way of bringing alternatives to the market place.'

The portfolio of options was launched to meet the various environmental standards in different parts of the world. Purcell said: 'The focus in Europe is on carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy, so you need a clean and efficient internal combustion engine. For Japan, where there is high traffic density and focus on fuel economy, the optimal solution might be a hybrid-electric and in places like California where zero emissions vehicles are needed due to extreme environmental conditions, a fully electric vehicle may be required.'