Funding for the cars was arranged by Hitachi Capital, while Inchcape Fleet Management will take care of servicing and maintenance, and charging points have already been installed at National Grid’s Willesden and Hackney facilities for overnight recharging.

The vehicles will be used to get between London’s expanding network of inspection tunnels, which will allow engineers to inspect and maintain the city’s electricity supply without disrupting traffic. Once complete, this will include 20 miles of tunnels, between three and four metres in diameter and dug 20 to 60 metres below ground level.

David Morse, National Grid’s fleet operations manager, said: ‘The LEAF is the first EV to join our 2,600 strong car fleet and has already won favour with the staff that will be using the car around the clock. Its combination of zero emissions when in use, low running costs, size and interior space will make it an ideal companion on this world class engineering project.’