The time for electric cars seems to be finally upon us. The era of grey buildings and noisy streets might really be about to end. But what about that satisfying engine roar, the smell of oil and the thrill of speed? Are we going to miss it?

Electric car charging firm Chargemaster has announced it is opening a private network of 4,000 charging points in 100 UK cities by the end of 2012.

In the same week FIA - Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile - has announced a development on a similar vein. From 2014 Formula 1 cars will have to use electric power while driving in the pit lane.

The new FIA Official Regulation, among many changes, will see the introduction of 1.6 litre V6 turbo Powerplants, which will be the only engines allowed in pit lanes.

It drives me mad to think about a Formula 1 racing car running on electric power, but it's not too bad to imagine to be driving through traffic-filled cities without breaking the bank or polluting the air.

The European leader provider of EV (Electric Vehicle) charging infrastructure, Chargemaster, is launching "POLAR", the first privately funded nationwide system for electric car charging in UK, next September.

By 2012 "POLAR" will be in about 100 cities with 40 publicly available charging bays for every town. Enabling even people all around UK to buy easily use electric cars.

"POLAR" should become the biggest system for charging cars in the world.

Every town involved in the project will be granted of an "EV Ready" certificate. This will enable municipalities to attract  manufacturers such as Renault, Nissan, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Smart and Vauxhall, which are working on new models, making the UK the main market for next generation cars.

The first nine months of the project will involve 50 towns, including: Bristol, Cardiff, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Swansea, and Warwick.

Get ready for silent cities!