Kent drivers are spearheading a surge in electric vehicle ownership.

It's a revolution which environmentalists have branded a step in the right direction - but how easy is it to go eco-friendly?

Latest figures from the Department for Transport show in September 2017 there were 2,299 eco vehicles in the county - or 773 more than in the same month in 2016.

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That means there are around 25 drivers for every charging point in the county.

Going all electric is not for everyone - particularly those with no off-road parking.

But environmentalist and chairman of the Green Party in Kent, Stuart Jeffery said: "We live on a single planet and we need to make sure we don't run the planet out of resources and pollute it too much.

"It's relatively easy - it's a very different style of driving.

"I'm lucky, I have a drive and a charging point at home and most of my journeys are around Kent.

"If I need to go further there's been a network of chargers installed at service stations on motorways.

"The technology is moving on. The newer cars have got huge ranges on a full charge."

Mr Jeffery, who has owned an electric car of his own for two years, added there needs to be a bigger push for off-road charging points.

"The real difficulty at the moment is if you don't have off-road parking," he added.

"It makes life so much easier if you've got somewhere at home you can charge it.

"We know that at a basic level the pollution we're getting from fossil fuels is appalling and needs addressing.

"Electric cars aren't the only answer but they've got a role to play certainly.

"The sooner we get rid of fossil fuels as the basis of our vehicles the better."

LISTEN: Electric cars have proven benefits for the environment

The local authority with the highest number of registered plug-in vehicles at the end of September last year was Sevenoaks, with 289, followed by Tunbridge Wells with 261 and Tonbridge and Malling with 260.

The figures showed the number of plug-in cars, vans and micro-cars licensed in every local authority in the UK.

On the opposite end of the scale the areas with the fewest eco-friendly vehicles on the roads were Dover with 84 registered, Gravesham with 99 and Shepway with 108.

There are around 90 electric car charging points in the county which are registered for public use.

Professor of marketing at Kent Business School at the University of Kent, Ben Lowe, explained how people will start to feel more comfortable with electric cars as they become more common.

He said: "In terms of popularity technology adoption over time increases for technology which is successful.

"In terms of popularity technology adoption over time increases for technology which is successful" - Ben Lowe

"For things like electric cars initially people are going to have a number of objections because they don't understand them, the infrastructure is not there but over time those risks are alleviated so people see more of a reason to purchase them.

"What they've traditionally been able to provide in the way of battery life has been an issue, and these things are improving.

"I think they've improved so more people buy them these days but they're still not the same as petrol-based cars."

Some of these are located in busy shopping centre car parks including Bluewater and Whitefriars in Canterbury.

At the moment motorists who choose to go green are exempt from paying road tax as the vehicles do not release any emissions.

It comes as a joint committee of MPs is calling for a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in the next 12 years.

WATCH: Our team took a Tesla out for a spin

Experts have been quick to talk up the use of electric cars.

But Martin Page and his wife Sonia, from Hythe, who have had their Nissan Leaf for around six months, say they can also have their downfalls.

"We purchased it new and it was the top of the range model at the time," Mr Page said.

"It was bought because my wife decided she wanted to try and help with all the fumes and pollution.

"There have been some bits and pieces that have made us open our eyes quite a bit. The distance we can get on it varies quite a lot depending on the temperature outside.

"It was bought because my wife decided she wanted to try and help with all the fumes" - Martin Page

"You could never do a long journey on it."

The 40-year-old self-employed IT technician added he would not be able to use it as his main car as the technology their current vehicle uses only allows it to travel around 107 miles on a full charge.

Instead they tend to stick to relatively short journeys.

"We don't tend to use it as our main car. We had a charging unit put in the house and we pretty much leave it charging overnight every few nights," he added.

"It's saved us money on running costs but overall the purchasing of it and those costs have meant we're not better off but we're doing our bit."

The car cost £25,000 to leave the forecourt.

But, once government grants are taken into account, he and his wife paid £18,000 for the vehicle.

LISTEN: Martin Page talks about his eco-friendly car

The benefits and drawbacks for electric-powered vehicles continue to show themselves when you compare the cost of running and buying the motors.

Mr Page said on average he has to pay a fee of around £9 every time he uses a public charging point, which gives him 125 miles.

He points out the cost of charging gives you more mileage than a top-up in petrol would give you for the same price.

But he comes back down to earth when talk turns to the cost of the vehicle and, in some instances, it would be quicker to pay for fuel.

"The car was very expensive to buy.

"We thought that if you were on a low battery with a low range and then you have to drive to hospital if your child is taken ill from school, you would have to stop and charge for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

"Whereas chucking in £5 of fuel is much quicker."

He might have a vested interest, but one car dealer said the cost of electric vehicles compares well when set against petrol or diesel car ownership.

Justin Newton, sales manager at Canterbury Nissan, said: "We've seen a huge increase at dealer level and I think nationally these statistics are quite incredible.

"I think the environmental aspect is getting to be a bigger story now and I think the range is extending.

"There's more charging points in the country than there are petrol stations."

Mr Newton added one of the first things he asks interested shoppers is if they have off-road parking.

"It wouldn't be something we'd recommend if you don't have a home charger but people still use them" - Justin Newton

"It wouldn't be something we'd recommend if you don't have a home charger but people still use them," he added.

"The future is bright for electric cars.

"We're at the tipping point and it's definitely going to be where people choose to go with their cars."

When looking at the cost of purchasing an eco-friendly car Mr Newton said the monthly payments are now the same as a conventionally-powered car.

"Insurance is the same, the tax isn't there and servicing is cheaper because it has a lot fewer moving parts than a petrol or diesel engine.

"Your fuel costs disappear and the cost of the electric is a fraction of the cost of filling up a petrol or diesel."

Meanwhile, a joint committee of MPs is calling for a ban on the sale of diesel and petrol cars to come in in 12 years' time.

The report also says car manufacturers should contribute to a new clean air fund.

Air pollution contributes to 40,000 premature deaths a year.

Tesla is probably one of the biggest names in the electric car industry.

But what do you need to know about electric car ownership in Kent? A spokesman for the firm, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, responded:

Q 1) What are the advantages of having an electric vehicle?

There are zero emissions and electric vehicles can be better. They can also be quicker and more fun to drive than petrol or diesel powered cars."

Q 2) How far can a Tesla travel on full charge?

Model S and Model X 100D brings industry-first NEDC range of 393 miles for Model S and 351 miles for Model X and allows drivers to travel unprecedented distances on a single charge, sustainably.

Model S and Model X 100D are now the longest range all-electric production saloon and SUV on the market."

Q 3) How easy is it to recharge an electric vehicle on the go?

For daily drives, simply plug Tesla cars in at night at your home and wake up in the morning with a full charge.

Stations are strategically placed to minimise stops during long distance travel and are conveniently located near restaurants, shopping centres, and WiFi hot spots.

A spokesman for the company said they would not comment on regional sales figures.