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Hundreds more Londoners are buying electric cars as the scale of the capital’s air pollution problem is laid bare, official figures reveal today.

They show a jump of more than 22 per cent in the number of electric cars, including hybrids, registered in the city in the first three months of the year, nearly 800, compared to 650 in the first quarter of 2015.

In the South East outside London, the rise is even more dramatic, a staggering 84.9 per cent, from 1,632 to 3,019.

“Electric cars are proving increasingly popular in the South East among commuters who use them to drive to the station where (charging) infrastructure has been installed and is increasing all the time,” explained David Stupples, professor of electronic and electrical engineering at City University, London.

“They are also used by people driving to out-of-town shopping centres as again the infrastructure is there.”

Other factors in the surge in electric car purchases in the South East include that families living outside London are also more likely to have two cars, so may opt for one to be electric, and to have driveways and therefore easier access to charging.

“Whether Londoners drive an ultra-green car or an old gas guzzler they face the same problem. Where to park them,” said Philip Gomm, of motoring group the RAC Foundation.

“Throw in the trip hazard of a charging cable for a pure electric vehicle and you can see why ownership might be low in the capital compared to the shires where more people have the luxury of off-street parking.”

There are also clusters of company HQs in the South East, in places such as Slough, so their electric car fleets may be included in this region’s figures.

People in the capital and wider South East are often more environmentally aware, compared to other regions, particularly on air pollution which has a death toll of more than 9,000 a year in London, according to experts.

Poppy Welch, head of national electric vehicle campaign Go Ultra Low, stressed that London and the South East are the “powerhouse” of the UK’s electric car market.

“The huge rise in the region for the year-to-date, emphasises the popularity of these stylish, economical and practical new cars,” she added.

The three most popular models registered in this region, including the capital, in the first quarter of 2016 were the Mitsubishi Outlander, 1,236, Nissan Leaf 656, and Mercedes-Benz C-class, 521.

The growth in electric car use is clear from the 61 registered in the whole of 2010 for London, with the total since then now being over 5,000.

Thousands more charging points are being installed under the Source London scheme.

Across the country, the number of electric vehicles bought broke the 10,000 mark for the first time for a quarter, according to the data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders.

Its chief executive Mike Hawes said, “Britain is one of Europe’s fastest-growing markets for ultra-low emission vehicles, and the uptake in and around London has far outpaced the rest of the UK.”