Alex F Noble, the sole agents in Scotland for the Nissan Leaf has supplied East Lothian Council with one of the electric cars.

Councillor Barry Turner, East Lothian council’s environment spokesman, said: “The council bought the Leaf to use as a pool car with help from the Scottish government.

“I believe that this is the future for motoring – it is eerily silent to drive, fume free, cheap to run and with all the performance of a normal petrol or diesel engine."

David Noble, dealer principal at Alex F Noble Nissan, said: “East Lothian Council is one of a number of Scottish local authorities who have ordered the new Leaf from us for their vehicle fleets.

"The fact these cars can be charged overnight on off-peak rates and are hugely economical to run, makes them a very attractive proposition for any organisation looking to reduce its carbon footprint, while combating the relentless rise in transport costs”.