Driving progression

The development of an electric vehicles infrastructure in the north east of England has been given a boost by an international collaboration between private sector companies.

The AA, Tesco, British Gas, CE Electric UK and Capital Shopping Centres are working together to deliver charging points, technical advice and promotional material that will encourage the use of electric vehicles in the region.

As part of the programme, regional development agency, One North East, has been tasked with installing 750 charging points over the next two years. The first 40 of these have already been installed in Newcastle and Gateshead.

The £10.7m project will also see 35 new electric passenger vehicles developed in the north east as part of One North East’s £30m plan to base the future car industry in the region.

Chris Pywell, One North East’s head of strategic economic change, said: ‘Electric vehicles are not a futuristic vision; they are on our roads now. It’s a reality that we must take advantage of, not only to lower our carbon emission levels, but to exploit the economic potential it offers the region.