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And he is keen to encourage London's Boroughs to reduce parking charges for electric cars. An Electric Vehicle Partnership for London will also be created to encourage the car industry to accelerate the delivery of new technology and to increase the level of support for drivers of electric cars in the capital.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said:
"We cannot ignore the importance of the automobile in our great city, especially in outer London and for families, where it is often the only viable form of transport for many journeys. At the same time we cannot ignore the fact that ground based transport, excluding aviation, accounts for 22 percent of London's emissions of CO2.

"Electric cars provide zero emissions at their point of use. If we can help make these cars affordable, attractive and easy for Londoners to use then I believe we can put London in pole position when it comes to the use of this type of technology."

The use of electric vehicles is already being encouraged in the capital. They are exempt from the congestion charge and Transport for London helped the Boroughs to fund a programme to introduce charging points. The Mayor has already funded development of a website that provides information on the location of charging points.

In the capital the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London already use electric smart cars and hybrids. Plus they encourage their suppliers to invest in electric vehicles.

In a speech to a conference on low carbon vehicles at the British Motor Show tomorrow the Mayor's Director of Transport Policy, Kulveer Ranger, will confirm that the Mayor has asked him to establish an Electric Vehicle Partnership for London.

Kulveer Ranger will tell the Low Carbon Vehicle Conference that:
"We don't want green cars to be seen as a lifestyle choice for eco warriors. We want them to be an attractive option for everyone. We want industry to help the public see that all makes and models from sports coupes to people carriers can be affordable and electric.

"We do understand that electricity is not the silver bullet to emissions. But we think it can greatly reduce CO2 emissions in London. The Electric Vehicle Partnership will aim to make driving an electric vehicle in London cheaper and easier. We want to fund more charging points and show manufacturers that our city is where they should accelerate the delivery of electric cars."