UNLESS you belong to a bygone age, you'll recognise the advantages of fossil-fuel free travel.

But there are couple of major problems that stand in the way of owning a fully electric car. One is the higher purchase price, another is the limited driving range.

The massive Chinese firm BYD reckon they've got the answer to both with their new city car, the Dolphin Surf, a neat looking, miniscule but spacious hatchback.

With a price tag starting at £18,650 it presents a challenge to rivals like the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster and brings BEV motoring within reach of more young buyers and those looking for an economical second car.

Range anxiety, that common condition suffered by many potential BEV owners, should be largely assuaged with a 230-mile capability for the top model which has a larger battery. And, anyway, owners generally don't demand such an extended range from a small car which will be used mainly for shopping runs or commutes.

On that basis, the cheapest version - the Active - with a claimed 136 mile capacity shouldn't be too much of a problem for city drivers.

With five doors, a sub-four metre length but a fairly tall stance, the dramatic-looking Dolphin Surf manages its cabin space well, partly thanks to the clever tech which has allowed the various electric components to be neatly gathered together in a single module.

The result is decent room for four grown-ups and a boot which can hold around 300 litres of cargo.

Driven by the front wheels, the flagship Comfort version (price £23,950) which packs the largest 43.2kWh unit, gets off the mark sharply and will hit 62mph in about nine seconds - fast enough for most but not a class leader.

The lesser powered model, the Active which has a smaller 30kWh battery, takes another two seconds to reach 62mph. There is also a Boost model which at £21,950 fits in the centre of the line-up.

There's almost no noise as you travel, just a distant whine. Steering feels super light which is good enough for town driving but may not be ideal for motorways or open country runs. Unfortunately, our test drive was concentrated on the busy streets of the capital.

It pays to feed in the power gently as It's easy to spin the front wheels with a heavy right foot. Particularly impressive was the tight turning circle - a boon for crowded supermarket car parks and city streets.

Significantly, all Dolphin Surf models can be charged from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in no more than half an hour, taking much of the pain out of daily running.

As with most BEVs, you can plug in an adapter to the charge port to run a vacuum cleaner, lawn mower or similar equipment.

The cabin is smart and contemporary without being particularly funky. The large touch screen dominated the facia and can be swivelled 360 degrees. There are some scratchy areas of plastic near the windscreen but generally, the fit and quality of the furnishings are good.

Seats - covered with vegan leather, as it's known - are quite soft, but supportive and comfortable over our short journey. Legroom in the front is very generous and quite acceptable for those seated in the back.

There are some slick features to amuse the driver including a novel method of controlling the heating and fan. Merely place three fingers on the touchscreen and swipe up or down to alter the speed of the fan.

At the moment BYD have 74 dealers - or stores, as the firm calls them - but this figure is expected to expand to 120 by the end of the year.

The new car is on sale immediately and will be in showrooms as of now.