Council staff electric car 'anxiety'

A Scottish local authority has admitted that its staff are reluctant to use its pool of electric cars for fear of being stranded with a flat battery.

Dumfries and Galloway Council said some workers were wary of the cars' 100 mile range in the sprawling rural area.

The local authority spent £57,600 on four electric Nissan Leafs since 2011. Yet, in total, the cars have covered fewer than 26,000 miles in that time.

They may say "relatively successful" but admitted levels of usage were "considerably lower" than for conventional cars in its pool.

They added: "Staff have been asked to comment on use of the vehicles, and 'range anxiety' is certainly a consideration.