The idea was a good one: an electric car that reduces our dependence on oil, and cuts down on CO2 emissions and noise pollution. The reality is turning out to be somewhat less promising.

Even as recently as last year, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero launched a 600-million eurosubsidy plan to promote the sector, and the Industry Ministry predicted that by the end of this year, more than 20,000 electric and plug-in hybrid cars would be registered in Spain. By end-2012, this number was supposed to reach 50,000.

However, between January and August of this year, only 213 electric cars were registered. The National Association of Automobile Importers estimates the yearly total could rise to 1,000, but this is still a far cry from the government's initial hopes.

While it is too early to pronounce the electric car as a failure, it is becoming clear that initial expectations were unrealistic.

Francisco Aparicio, director of the University Institute for Automobile Research, agrees and predicts that by 2020, the electric and plug-in car may account for 10 percent of the market. Meanwhile, he says that the plug-in hybrid, such as Opel's Ampera, which will arrive in Spain in January, and which has both a gas and an electric engine, may be the easier sell.