THE number of East Renfrewshire motorists driving electric cars has more than doubled in the last two years.

Latest figures from the UK Government show there were 740 owners in the area who decided to ‘go green’ last year, compared to 451 in 2020 and 327 in 2019.

Electric car registrations across Scotland shot up by 75% between July and September last year, compared to the same three-month period in 2020.

The Department for Transport figures show there are now 38,630 electric cars on Scotland’s roads – up from 22,100 in 2020.

Electric car sales in East Renfrewshire rocketed by 64%.

The biggest increase in ownership was in North Lanarkshire, where it jumped by 104%, followed by the Shetland Islands and Stirling.

By contrast, the lowest ownership rise was in the Orkney Islands.

Most council areas in Scotland have seen a growth of more than 50% in electric car ownership in their communities.

Greg Wilson, of insurance price comparison website Quotezone, said: “Motorists in East Renfrewshire are firmly at the forefront of the green industrial revolution when it comes to motoring.

“Government initiatives such as more public charging points and more home charging grants can only fuel Scottish electric vehicle registration growth over this year.”

However, Barrhead News readers have recently expressed concerns over a lack of charging points in East Renfrewshire.

Earlier this month, software expert Alan Campbell, 60, said he has had trouble finding any that actually work, particularly in his home village of Neilston and in Barrhead.

The dad-of-two, who drives a Skoda Enyaq, added: “I’ve tried contacting the people who run them but nothing ever seems to get done.

“There are plenty of places on the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh but nothing locally. This is a shameful state of affairs.”

Alan has now called on East Renfrewshire Council to do more to encourage the use of electric cars.

A council spokesperson said: “An electric vehicle charging strategy is currently being developed to support our ambitions for the area.”