The demand for greener and less polluting vehicles has reached an all-time high, according to new research by Motoring.co.uk

Since the end of 2010 there has been a 28 per cent increase in motorists searching for greener new cars at a time when we have seen the highest fuel prices on record, with diesel passing the 140p per litre mark for the first time.

Sales of the Toyota Prius 2011 have shot up 51.5 per cent in the first three months of 2011 and Nissan recently launched its eco-friendly electric Leaf in the UK, pictured.

The company states that it already has 550 standing orders.

Chris Green, co-founder and sales director of Motoring.co.uk, said: "Our research on the growing demand for greener new cars backs up the recent SMMT figures on 11-plate new car registrations, which shows that less polluting cars dominate new car sales in 2011 so far.

"In the future, we will see more and more people opting for cars that are cheap to maintain rather than splashing out on models to impress the neighbours."