BUCKINGHAMSHIRE New University is officially the most eco-friendly driving university in the country after it topped a poll for the number electric cars it operates.

The Estates Team at the Wycombe-based education centre boasts 66 per cent of its owned cars running on purely electricity, more than any other higher education institution in the UK.

The research, carried out by www.intelligentcarleasing.com found universities to be way ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting environmentally friendly motors.

Pete McAllister, who conducted the research, said: “With a fast growing green energy sector in the UK electric vehicles are fast becoming an all-round low carbon driving option.

“It’s brilliant to see such a high adoption rate amongst the UK’s universities and hopefully this is a good indicator of the broader motoring picture in years to come.”

The full list is as follows, showing the percentage of electric cars owned as part of the university’s fleet.

  1. Bucks New University 66%
  2. Edge Hill University 50%
  3. The University of East London 45.50%
  4. The University of Bedfordshire 33%
  5. Royal Holloway, University of London 33%
  6. The University of Sunderland 27.78%
  7. The University of Kent 26%
  8. The University of Dundee 25%
  9. The University of Greenwich 25%
  10. Leeds Trinity University 25%