Automakers worldwide have gotten the message loud and clear: To be successful, new hybrids and electric cars will have to wipe out the idea they are nothing more than glorified golf carts.
Demand for far greater fuel-efficiency is coming from two sides -- consumers, who have shifted away from gas-guzzling cars and trucks, and governments jacking up standards for lower emissions and higher miles per gallon.
The result? A bevy of new cars unveiled at the recent 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, all trying to show how cars can be "green" and "cool" at the same time.
Just about every automaker got on the electric car bandwagon at the show, bolstering the notion that gasoline-electric hybrids and battery-only electric cars are becoming more and more mainstream, even though plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles aren't even available yet, outside of a few experimental test units. In fact, carmakers already are starting to offer different varieties of each, including sports cars with distinctive styling and respectable performance.
Here's a look at 10 "cool" and "green" cars -- none yet on the market and some that never will be -- Bankrate found at the show that offer a peek into the future.