According to figures released by Transport Scotland in response to a Freedom of Information request from the RAC Foundation, there are now 1,100 electric vehicles on Scotland’s roads.

However, of the 482 facilities in the ChargePlace Scotland network, 45 per cent (217 units) were not used once in the month surveyed (August 2014). The other 55 per cent (265) were used at least once.

Of the 2,885 charges recorded over the month, 46 per cent took place in Edinburgh, Dundee or Glasgow. The most-used individual charging points were at Janet Brougham House in Dundee (103 charges), Edinburgh's Victoria Quay (80 charges) and Ingliston Park and Ride (61 charges).

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "The encouraging news is that electric car sales in the UK are at last showing signs of improvement, but we still have a charging network in Scotland that is running below capacity. Part of the reason for installing public charge points is to help drivers overcome their fear of range anxiety, but this does not come cheap.”