Hybrid cars come in many shapes and sizes. Well-heeled petrolheads might be tempted by a Ferrari SF90 Stradale or McLaren Artura, superfast supercars whose hybrid systems are mostly an attempt to boost the performance of already immensely powerful engines. Those with a more modest budget might look at one of the many models of plug-in hybrids that will go for around 50km (30 miles) before the petrol engine needs to kick in. These hybrids are a cheaper option than full battery power and alleviate the “range anxiety” of electric-only cars. Sales have been surging.

However, as my story outlines, hybrids may have a limited shelf life. As the price of batteries continues to fall and charging infrastructure improves, fully electric cars will become cheaper than hybrids or solely petrol-powered cars to buy and run. Add the experience of near silent, smooth and rapid motoring and pure battery power will win the race even without supercar performance.