A shift from oil-powered cars to electric cars should certainly help to alleviate the problem of air pollution in urban areas.

However, electric cars don’t solve many of the other problems involved with motor vehicle use – congestion, danger, public health, land use required for parking, and roads and streets that are blighted by motor traffic.

Furthermore, there is evidence that particulates from tyres, brakes and engine wear will still contribute significantly to local air pollution.

The source of electricity also varies greatly around the world, so while clean, renewable energy is available in some areas, many places still rely on dirty sources of fuel for electricity generation.