The first ever environmentally-friendly Chelsea Tractor... complete with electric motor and solar panel

For those who want to reduce their carbon footprint but can't bear to part with their 4x4, it could be the perfect answer.

BMW has created what it claims is the first environmentally friendly Chelsea Tractor.

The design - due to be unveiled next month at the Geneva Motor Show - uses the latest hybrid technology.

It combines a standard diesel engine with an electric motor powered by a battery that charges up when the vehicle brakes.

The normal sunroof is replaced by a solar panel that can top up the batteries when the car is parked outside or power the air conditioning and CD player when on the go.

The vehicle - called the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics - is described as a concept car.

That means it may never see the light of day, although parts of the design could feature in real models over the next few years. It is based on the BMW X5 - a giant 4x4 which normally sells for at least £40,000.

The price tag for the environmentally friendlier big sister has not been released but is expected to be much higher.

Hybrid cars have become increasingly popular among drivers who want to reduce their carbon footprint without changing their lifestyles.

They work by taking the energy normally wasted when a car brakes and using it to charge up a battery.

BMW reckons the concept SUV delivers 43.5mpg. It has reduced the CO2 output from 219g/km with the current model to just 172g/km.

Although BMW hopes the design will give it some green credentials, environmentalists point out it is still a gas guzzler.

A Seat 1.4 Ibiza produces 99g/km of CO2 and delivers 74mpg.