VAUXHALL has announced plans to build a generation of new cars which do not burn fossil fuels.

The vision was laid out by Nick O'Reilly, the company's European chief executive, at the Geneva Motor Show.

O'Reilly, who drove a prototype Vauxhall Ampera 500 miles to Geneva from the company's European headquarters in Germany, said that the long term plan was to develop a family of cars which did not rely on petrol or diesel.

He said electric cars would be for everyday commuting, extended range models would be for long distances while fuel cell cars which burn hydrogen would appeal to drivers who wanted more performance.

At the moment the Ampera uses a small petrol engine to generate electricity which is used to drive the car. Overall it produces only a fraction of the tailpipe emissions of a conventional engine and has a range of 350 miles.

The Ampera is described as an extended range electric vehicle and eventually it could use fuels such as bio-ethanol to power its engine instead of petrol.

Bio-ethanol can be produced from products such as wood pulp or any organic waste unlike oil-based fuels which drain the planet's natural resources.

The Ampera can run for almost 40 miles purely on battery power where it produces no emissions.

The high tech car is likely to go into production next year and is the first phase of an £11 billion investment by Vauxhall's parent company General Motors into alternative power sources over the next few years.

As part of the development, the company unveiled the FlexTreme GTE concept car at Geneva which uses a similar system to that of the Ampera but its ultra-sleek aerodynamics help it to a top speed of 125mph.