SWINDON's Mayor will be travelling in style and without costing the earth after picking up his newest electric car this week.

Mayor Junab Ali picked up his new Hyundai Ioniq plug-in hybrid from Swindon's Pebley Beach Hyundai dealership to help him get to the many engagements his title demands.

The saloon-style car - named What Car magazine's best hybrid of 2018 - combines a petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver fuel consumption of more than 250 miles per gallon and just 26g of CO2 per km.

The car is also exempt from London's Congestion charge, meaning lower extra costs to tax payers when the mayor visits London on official business.

"My ambition, and that of the council, is to be as green as we can be – and it is our responsibility to lead by example when it comes to reducing our carbon emissions," said councillor Ali.

"This is important for our borough, our country, and the world.

"I am proud and honoured that Pebley Beach is supporting the Office of Mayor in this way."

Dominic Threlfall, managing director of Pebley Beach, said: "We're delighted that the mayor has chosen a Hyundai Ioniq as his official car.

"Our ambition throughout this arrangement is to provide the Office of Mayor with increasingly more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly cars as they become available.

"Whilst the Hyundai Ioniq plug-in hybrid is the natural choice today, it would be great to see councillor Ali, or his successor, being driven in a Hyundai Nexo, which is powered by hydrogen fuel cells and is due to be rolled out in the UK in 2019.

"Swindon is a UK leader is hydrogen fuel cell technology, and having our First Citizen behind the wheel of a hydrogen-powered car would be a fitting way to demonstrate the town's status."

It is the second Hyundai hybrid supplied to the Mayor by Pebley Beach. Former mayor councillor Maureen Penny was the first to enjoy an official electric car.