DRIVERS have been urged to take advantage of zero-interest loans to purchase an electric car before the Scottish Government funded scheme ends.

More than half the £7.8 million pot allocated to the Local Carbon Transport Fund this year has already been claimed. It offers interest-free loans of up to £35,000 to help motorists buy an electric car as part of the Scottish Government's green energy push.

Applications will remain open until March 31 2017, or until all the funding has been allocated.

Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf, said: "I’m delighted to see so many motorists taking advantage of this interest free loan offer from the Energy Saving Trust. A switch to electric vehicles is vital in helping us realise our vision of freeing Scotland’s towns, cities and communities from the damaging emissions of fossil-fuelled vehicles by 2050.

"It also enables businesses and individuals to make a direct contribution to improving local air quality, whilst also improving the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland."

There has been steady growth in the number of electric cars on Scotland’s roads in the last ten years.

Between 2014 and 2015, sales of pure electric vehicles is Scotland shoot up by 54 per cent from 833 to 1283.

Sales have remained strong in 2016, with 900 new electric cars registered in Scotland by the end of September this year.

In addition to interest-free loans, the existing UK Government Plug-In Car scheme offers grants of up to £4,500 off the cost of a new electric car.

Rosyth resident Neil Swanson, who won a year-long test drive of a Nissan LEAF through an Energy Saving Trust competition, has already committed to buying one after clocking up more than 12,000 miles in just five months.

Mr Swanson, an electrical engineer, said the experience had converted him from a self-confessed "petrol-head".

He said: "I wasn’t convinced. I had driven old electric vans years ago and the range was awful. But after I won, I started to do my research and pretty quickly began to think ‘actually, this could be quite good. Now, I love it.

“It’s a tiny change in habit, instead of going to the petrol station once or twice a week, I just plug the car in at night, like my mobile phone. Then, if I have a long drive, I can give it an extra charge at the supermarket while I’m shopping and by the time I’m back out, it’s ready to go again.”