Electric car revolution: calculating the cost of green motoring

More battery-powered vehicles would mean cleaner air and quieter streets - but also a drain on the National Grid and less fuel duty to the Treasury

Streets will be quieter, the air will be cleaner, people will spend less time at petrol stations and car factories might even return to Britain's shores if the country switches to electric cars in a dramatic, widespread fashion.

But widespread adoption of battery-powered vehicles would not be without challenges too. A large-scale switchover to electric cars could create problems for power grids, could mean roads lined with charging poles and it could also leave a big hole in public coffers as fuel duty dries up.