Everyone is becoming more eco conscious as the years wear on. Now we're into 2012, almost everyone has a base knowledge of environmental issues, while everyday practices to preserve the planet are becoming engrained in how we live, rather than being a minority interest.

Carbon footprints are a big concern, and becoming bigger all the time. This is filtering into how we drive. The cars that we will choose to drive in the next 5-10 years will have to be economical, with a reduced impact on the environment, but also satisfy our need for speed and convenience.

Analysts, marketers and car companies are now pointing to hybrid cars as the logical step beyond petrol and diesel vehicles, before the fabled shift to electric cars. A recent study carried out by consultancy Deloitte showed that the majority of young people would choose a hybrid car over any other type of vehicle.

The survey of 1,500 people showed that six out of ten millennials or Gen Y consumers -people born in the 80's and early 90's- prefer to buy a hybrid or electric car over any other. Although over half of the study's total respondents said that they would prefer gas-electric hybrids over petrol or diesel vehicles, only 2% said that they would consider buying a pure electric vehicle.

With the positive attitude to hybrid motoring, it is possible that this generation will be the one that "leads us away from traditional gasoline powered vehicles," says Craig Giffi, vice chairman and automotive leader of Deloitte. "Gen Y is familiar and comfortable with hybrid technology, but not so much with battery only technology."

Aside from the upsurge in millennials making the switch, a spike in the number of people driving hybrid cars worldwide will come from China and India, according to BP. Hybrid cars will account for over half of all vehicles sold by 2030, according to the oil company. Demand from India and China will increase the number of people using hybrid cars from 1bn to 1.6bn by 2030, this represents a 60% rise in vehicle ownership, however the amount of energy used will only increase by 26%.

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