Cabinet ministers could soon swap their luxury limousines for electric vehicles, in a bid to set an eco-friendly example.

A Whitehall source told the London Evening Standard that electric car trials are likely to start as soon as spring.

London currently boasts a network of 800 charging points – but three out of four went unused in 2012.

Last year, treasury minister Danny Alexander visited McLaren and pledged a £10 million prize to the development of ultra-low emission cars.

He set aside another £5 million to fund tests of electric vehicles within the NHS and other public services.