VAUXHALL'S parent company General Motors has unveiled the first development of its ground-breaking AUTOnomy concept car - the GM Hy-wire.

The new concept vehicle is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, with all drive and electronics systems carried in an 11-inch thick skateboard-like chassis, on to which different bodies can be bolted.

Hy-wire is the first drivable development of this technology, combining the fuel cell with drive-by-wire technology, so there is no physical link between the driver's controls and the steering, brake or throttle.

The driver brakes or accelerates using either his right or left hand and, because the engine is under the floor, he or she has a clear view of the road all the way down to floor level.