In March 2022, The North East Joint Transport Committee approved the first region-wide Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) policy, an outline of the region’s aim to lead the country in boosting the up-take of Electric Vehicles by developing and expanding charging facilities.

The new policy is a commitment of the North East Transport Plan and reflects national Government ambitions that the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned in the UK from 2030, with hybrid vehicles following in 2035. The policy will enable the region to competitively bid for future funding from Government, supporting the rapid roll-out required for ZEV charging infrastructure. It demonstrates a further regional drive to increase the use of ZEVs, helping more local people make the switch to a more sustainable vehicle.

Transport is currently the largest contributing sector to emissions, representing 27% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions. The policy therefore addresses battery electric vehicles and infrastructure; Hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure; private cars, taxis and freight vehicles; shared mobility services – such as Car Clubs and Buses, however buses are mainly addressed regional within the North East Bus Service Improvement Plan which was submitted to Government in October 2021.

The North East Zero Emission Policy predicts that in the next 15 years, as many as 28,000 publicly available EV charging points could be required to meet demand from users across the region. This will be progressed through a region-wide programme that sits across all public and private bodies, to direct activities that support the uptake of ZEVs, including monitoring progress made by partners, and making charging information available to the public in simple and easy-to-access formats.

This policy builds on successful initiatives such as the North East Go Ultra Low programme, including case studies of schemes from around the country, and will provide a solid foundation for future funding bids.