Batteries from Islington Council’s electric vehicles will help power the town hall, under a new trial launching today.

Moixa, the developer of smart battery and electric vehicle (EV) charging software, motor conglomerate Honda and Islington Council launched a "smart EV charging" scheme.

Five vehicle-to-grid chargers will be installed outside the town hall in Upper Street to charge the council's fleet when power on the local network is cheapest and cleanest.

But the chargers will discharge power from the car batteries when it's most expensive and carbon intensive.

The council says that, when EVs are plugged into all five chargers, they can provide sufficient power to meet the town hall's minimum energy requirement,

The chargers will be integrated with nearby solar panel systems to ensure they can be charged using a renewable energy source.

Islington Council's environment and transport chief Cllr Rowena Champion said: "

"We're working to ensure our residents have clean air to breathe, while also saving money that can be spent on delivering essential services for the people of Islington.

"We're working with industry leaders - Honda and Moixa - to electrify our fleet in the most effective way for our residents and acting as a pioneer for others to follow."

Islington Council has set aside £5million in its proposed budget for 2020/2021 for "greening" some of it's more than 500 vehicles.

The sole opposition councillor Caroline Russell (Green, Highbury East) has criticised the proposed budget for showing an alleged "lack of ambition when it comes to tackling the climate emergency". Town hall chiefs have denied this is the case.

Islington Council declared a climate emergency in June and pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030.

EVs still produce harmful particulate matter from their breaks, though admittedly less than normal vehicles. Building EVs can emit more CO2 than conventional vehicles but they don't release harmful N02 emissions and pollute less over their life cycle.

Areas around Seven Sisters, Holloway Road, Old Street and Caledonian Road exceed EU pollution limits. Toxic air kills some 40,000 in the UK each year.