Use of electric cars in North Somerset sees 39 per cent increase, according to the latest figures.

Statistics by the Department For Transport show that 741 ultra-low emission vehicles were licensed in North Somerset at the end of September - 39 per cent more than last year.

Across the UK, 247,000 such vehicles including electric, hybrid and fuel cell electric vehicles, were licensed at the end of September - a 33 per cent rise on the previous year.

They include 70,000 which were registered in the last year - just 2.4 percent of 3million new vehicles overall.

A DfT spokeswoman said: "Between April 2015 and July 2019, the number of new registered ultra-low emission vehicles has increased four-fold, with more than 228,000 now on UK roads, 180,000 more than in 2015.

"Last year, battery vehicles more than doubled and we're doubling our efforts to make owning an electric vehicle the new normal."