Electric scooters are becoming more popular and now account for one in seven new purchases, according to figures by motoring organisations.

So far this year 6,407 electric scooters have been sold. The proportion is highest in Amsterdam, where a quarter of new models are powered by electricity, partly prompted by the capital’s ban on older petrol scooters.

The government set a target in the climate agreement signed this year of ending sales of new non-electric scooters by 2025.

A year ago electric scooters accounted for 9% of new models sold, or around one in 11. The figures were compiled by the motor trade associations RAI and Bovag.

Bovag’s managing director Peter Niesink said improvements in the quality and prestige of electric scooters had made them more attractive to buyers.

‘They peaked years ago shortly after they were introduced, but their popularity quickly declined because of quality issues,’ he said. ‘Now that the top brands have appeared in this segment and the battery life is increasing, all the obstacles seem to have been overcome.’