Two major boosts for electric vehicles will transform the charging infrastructure across the North East.

Connected Kerb, one of the UK’s leading charge point operators, has announced plans to more than double the number of electric vehicle charging points following a partnership with South Tyneside Council, while a £6million boost will mean more electric charging points across the Tees Valley.

The Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority have successfully won a bid for just shy of £6.6million from the Department of Transport and its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund.

The Government’s key aim with the funding is to deliver a significant increase in the availability of low powered, on-street electric vehicle charging which is designed to support residents without drives or garages.

This will mean more on-street chargers across the region, with charging speeds similar to those achieved by residents who have charge points installed on their homes – with locations set to be agreed with local authorities.

The Connected Kerb agreement will mean up to 2,100 new charge points - the single largest installation of public EV charge points in the North

The cash boost is set to see the number of electric chargers in the region run into the thousands.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Electric and hybrid vehicles are no longer the future – they’re with us now. Ensuring owners and drivers have access to the chargers they need is crucial if we want to cut our emissions and hit our Net Zero targets. “

The region’s Net Zero Strategy includes the aim to increase the number of public Electric Vehicle charging points in the Tees Valley by 200% by 2025 as part of a wider plan to deliver a Net Zero local transport network by 2036. 

The Connected Kerb agreement will mean up to 2,100 new charge points - the single largest installation of public EV charge points in the North to date.

The new deployment represents a 126% boost to the North East’s existing network. Up to 2,100 will be installed in South Tyneside over the next 20 years - the largest single rollout in the North – with work due to begin this month.

The Northern Echo: Connected Kerb infrastructure Connected Kerb infrastructure (Image: Submitted)

Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “With millions of pounds available to local authorities from Government initiatives such as the LEVI Fund, councils are in the driving seat to take decisive, meaningful action to deploy charge points where their communities need them the most. Our partnership with South Tyneside Council is yet another example of bold ambition turned into action.”

The partnership between Connected Kerb and South Tyneside Council will see 80% of the chargers operational in the next two years alone, increasing the number of council-operated chargers in South Tyneside more than 30-fold. The original network reported operational uptime of 56% while the new network will demand 99%.

The first phase of the installation will take place over at least 41 sites, including community centres, sports facilities and libraries such as Monkton Stadium, The Word and The Customs House Mill Dam car park.