British Gas and Nissan have announced that British Gas is the preferred supplier of vehicle charging points for Britain's first affordable, practical 100% electric car - the Nissan Leaf.

The deal means that British Gas will supply and install electric car charge points in homes and businesses across the country. Charge points will be installed in domestic garages and driveways, as well as office car parks.

Charge points are more convenient than plugging the cars directly into the home electrical system and will substantially cut the charging time. British Gas will also help Nissan Leaf customers upgrade their home by installing solar panels - so they could charge their electric car for free with the renewable energy they generate.

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The Nissan Leaf, which is available to test drive at showrooms from 1 March, is the first affordable, mass market electric family car to be sold in the UK and produces no exhaust emissions. It is much cheaper to run than petrol cars, with a full charge costing less than £2, which gives the Leaf a range of 109 miles.

Customers will pay from £995 for the installation of a charging point by one of British Gas' nationwide network of qualified installers. The deal includes three years of free British Gas Home Electrical CoverTM which gives the customer unlimited call outs for all home electrical repairs, including parts and labour.

Prices for solar panels start at around £9,000. As well as providing the home with free renewable electricity, the panels will also provide a yearly income thanks to the Feed-in Tariff - a scheme that pays owners of solar panels for the renewable electricity they generate.

Phil Bentley, Managing Director of British Gas, said: "From today, Britons can drive an electric car powered by solar energy. The home of the future is here. A British Gas home with charge points, solar panels and smart meters is now a reality.

"We want our customers to use greener and cheaper energy. Partnering with Nissan on powering their electric cars is a very exciting driver of growth for British Gas as electric vehicles move into the mainstream."

(CD/GK)