The North East Joint Transport Committee has approved a new North East Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy covering Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Durham which mainly focuses on car and van drivers that will rely on the publicly available infrastructure network in the region to charge their electric vehicle, to deliver reliable public Zero Emission Vehicle charging infrastructure across the North East, wherever people need it.

The new strategy aims to create excellent infrastructure + well informed people (who can access the right chargepoints/information when they need it) with the aim of leading to an increase in ZEVs, and a reduction in carbon emission across the region.

The strategy sets out a delivery plan with an initial list of ZEV schemes worth approximately £80m. The plan includes sites identified as part of a refreshed enabling study. The enabling study has identified an initial 221 strategically located chargepoint sites to grow the charging network across the region (see appendix 1) and we will continue to work towards expanding the public charging network, when funding is available.

The delivery plan is a “live pipeline” of schemes and is expected to further develop over time. The proposed investments and initiatives set out in the strategy broadly consist of:

• The creation of an EV partnership group with the public and private sector;
• New public EV chargepoint infrastructure;
• Maintenance and upgrading of the existing public chargepoint network;
• Increased awareness and information to help people to make the transition to ZEVs;
• Innovation schemes to develop ZEV technology;
• Flexible procurement framework (NEPO) available to deliver public EV chargepoint infrastructure.

To achieve the ambitions of this Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy, the North East Joint Transport Committee will work in collaboration with central government, partners, and local people.

Read the North East Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy

Download the consultation summary report