Electric Hummer shock

Check out this Christmas's must-have celebrity fashion accessory! This is the Mini Hummer - a road legal, electric vehicle capable of up to 22mph and set to replace the Smart as the hippest inner city two-seat tax buster.

A number of celebrities have already been spotted piloting the tiny Hummer - which is licensed by GM and available in G1, G2, G3 and Roadster versions. Ant and Dec are known fans, as is rocker Meatloaf and Boyzone's Ronan Keating.

As you can probably tell, it's actually more of a golf kart than a bona fide car, but its road legal status and 22mph ability means it's a true urban congestion charge beater. The average speed in central London, for example, is only 10mph.

Of course, it's not going to keep owners very safe from the elements (or the lenses of prying paparazzi), and nor will it be much use on the motorway, yet as an alternative to the scooter it seems like a winner.

Spec varies from model to model, but all are powered by a 48V electric battery pack and feature such luxury car kit as 15-inch chrome alloys, a wood or carbon dashboard, a CD player, a drinks cooler, leather bucket seats and custom paintwork. Prices start at around £11,000, and there are already nine Mini Hummer dealers worldwide.

General Motors is currently desperate to sell off Hummer as the brand's bloated model range becomes increasingly irrelevant and sales plunge. However, this diminutive electric version is at least a novel way of dragging it into the minds of the more eco conscious. That said, diehard Hummer purists can order an 11bhp petrol engine to replace the battery - capable of up to 35mph with a hybrid electric upgrade.

Mark Nichol