Now its getting silly. The American motor industry’s rush to greenwash its products has now even affected the Hummer, with GM announcing yesterday an ethanol-powered version of the military-style vehicle.

General Motors kicked off the Detroit motor show by revealing biofuel-propelled prototypes of a Hummer, even though the car does just 16 litres per 100km (15 miles a gallon).

The ethanol-powered version, the HX, is over 2 metres (6.75ft) wide and retains the brand’s gargantuan, tank-like appearance, based on the US army’s Humvee armoured car.

If GM really wanted to go green, hasn’t it heard of the bicycle..