Sales of electrical cars and other plug-in vehicles have continued to increase, partly as a result of government incentives.

The Department for Transport has revealed over 5,000 plug-in car grants were provided in the past three months - more than double the number than in the previous three months and almost a third of all grants since the launch of the scheme in 2010. 

Plug-in car grants make such vehicles more affordable for businesses and members of the public by reducing the price of ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) by up to £5,000 for cars and £8,000 for vans.

Transport minister Baroness Kramer said: "Expanding this sector is creating thousands of jobs and contributing to Britain's thriving £11 billion automotive industry, and encouraging more investment in the UK."

There has been a steady rise in the number of people using ULEVs as more models become available and the nationwide network of charging points continues to expand.