THE conurbation has seen one of the biggest rises in electric car usage nationally, according to new figures.

Over the 12 months up to September 2017, the number of registered plug-in vehicles in Bournemouth increased by 53 per cent, and in Poole by 51 per cent – among the biggest rises in the country.

Recently-released Department for Transport statistics show the number of registered electric or plug-in hybrid cars, vans and micro cars called quadricycles in both boroughs for each quarter of the year.

From July 2016 and September 2016 there were 124 electric vehicles in Bournemouth and 166 in Poole.

However by the latest quarter, from July 2017 to September 2017, that figure had grown to 190 in Bournemouth and 250 in Poole.

Back in 2012 there were just four electric cars in Bournemouth and 13 in Poole, which shows the progress the industry has made in a short time.

But both are significantly below the total of 2,824 in Peterborough, which had the highest increase of plug-in vehicles of any local authority in the United Kingdom.

Poole has four charging points, in Ashley Road, Old Orchard, Poole Road and Seldown Lane, while Bournemouth has five. Christchurch, Wimborne, Bridport, Dorchester and Weymouth each have one.

And Poole-headquartered Southern Sustainability Partnership is holding "the south’s first ‘eco’ motor show", Big Green Wheels, at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Friday, May 18.

Over the past few years manufacturers have increased the range of their vehicles, and prices have lowered, helping fuel the rise in electric vehicles.

The latest Nissan Leaf, the UK's most popular entirely electric car, can now travel 235 miles before it needs to be recharged, 80 miles more than the previous version.

Last month BP announced it would follow Shell and install charging points at its petrol stations and Dyson has also said it plans to release an electric car by 2020.

One advantage electric car users have over other vehicles is that they do not have to pay road tax, as they do not release any emissions.

Electricity is also cheaper than petrol and diesel, and the vehicles are said to be a more environmentally-friendly option than fuel-burning cars, although fossil fuels are predominantly used in the production of electricity.

Plug-in vehicles still make up a tiny percentage of the cars on the road in Bournemouth and Poole.

According to the latest complete vehicle registration data from 2016, Bournemouth's 190 electric cars compares with 94,385 petrol or diesel cars and vans. In Poole, the figures are 250 electric versus 92,302 fossil-fuel burning vehicles.