New public charging points for electric cars have been set up across Birmingham and Coventry by energy company E.ON as part of the Cabled (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Demonstrators) project.
To mark the occasion, a convoy of eco-cars - which attract reduced car insurance premiums - travelled between the two sets of charging points installed at Margaret Street in Birmingham and Croft Road in Coventry.
The Cabled project - UK's largest ultra low carbon vehicles trial - will see 110 vehicles being tested by users over the next 12 months. Its primary aim is to show that ultra low-carbon vehicles are now a practical alternative to conventional cars in the urban environment.
Charles Bradshaw-Smith, of E.ON, said: "Coventry and Birmingham were the birthplace of the British car industry and it's great that these two cities are now leading the way in bringing low-carbon motoring to our streets.
"Electric cars are perfect for commutes to work and for shopping trips to town - and we're proud to help make eco-driving even easier by being the energy behind these charging points."
Cabled is a consortium of 13 organisations that include Arup, Aston University, Birmingham City Council, University of Birmingham, Coventry City Council, Coventry University, E.ON, Jaguar Landrover, LTI Vehicles, Micro Cab, Mitsubishi Motors, Smart and Tata.