THE official car used by the Mayor of Belfast is to be changed to an electric vehicle for the first time.
The change was agreed following a vote at Belfast City Council yesterday.
The car, an Audi E-tron which will be first used by current mayor Frank McCoubrey, costs an estimated £53,150 to buy, or £7,920.60 a year to lease, which is understood to be the option the council intends to opt for from early next year.
The car currently used by the mayor, which clocks up an average 6,000 miles a year, is a diesel BMW 7 Series.
Sinn Féin's council leader Ciaran Beattie said a less expensive model, such as a Hyundai, would have been preferable to the "luxury car".
"Replacing the mayor's car with one that is electric is the right and appropriate step, however this must be done at minimal cost to the rate payer," he said.
However, Alliance Party council leader, Michael Long, said the Audi E-tron represented the best value for money.
It is understood an electric charging point is to be installed at Belfast City Hall in the coming months.
