For electric cars to really hit the mainstream we need to build better networks of charging points so drivers can 'fill up' more easily – and an ingenious scheme is now underway in London to convert standard streetlights into charging points for vehicles.

All that electric car drivers need is a custom charging cable and a parking space next to one of the adapted lights, with power usage and billing all handled via a connected app. The best part is, most of the infrastructure is already in place.

While the scheme is rolling out in London, the brains behind it come from a German company called Ubitricity, which began converting streetlights in the borough of Hounslow in 2015. More points were recently added in Richmond upon Thames.

"We want our drive to install more charge points across London to translate into greater electric vehicle use and ultimately cleaner air for everyone in the capital," says Ubitricity CEO Knut Hechtfischer.