MPs have ordered a hunt for nearly 200 “missing” chargepoints across the region – warning that they are undermining attempts to persuade motorists to buy electric cars.

The Department for Transport (DfT) claimed there were 399 “plug-in places” in the North-East, but, incredibly, does not know the locations of nearly half.

The 186 are missing from the DfT’s National Chargepoint Registry, set up to tackle “range-anxiety” among potential buyers of electric cars, which have a maximum range of about 100 miles.

The switch to electric is particularly important in the North-East, after Nissan chose its Sunderland plant to manufacture the Nissan Leaf hatchback, which produces no greenhouse gas emissions.

But only 77 electric cars have been sold in the North- East, official figures show – and only 1,706 across the UK, despite generous discounts.

Now the all-party transport select committee has set the DfT a six-month deadline to to sort out the database.

Its report concluded: “The DfT must take the lead in providing data on the location of chargepoints so the public can see where they can charge their vehicles.

“An accurate and comprehensive registry of chargepoints installed by the Plugged-in Places scheme should be made available within the next six months.”

The MPs said funding for chargepoints should only be given – to consortia of businesses and transport authorities – if the key details were uploaded.

Across the UK, 1,673 chargepoints have been installed in eight trial areas, according to the DfT – yet only 452 can be located.

Labour added to the criticism, describing the delivery of a national recharging network as “shambolic”.

Maria Eagle, the party’s transport spokeswoman, added: “It is astonishing that, despite claiming to have delivered 1,600 chargepoints, the Government only seems to know where a third of them are located.

“We need to have reached 1.7 million electric vehicles by 2020 and a public charging infrastructure is needed to give confidence to drivers.”

Drivers enjoy subsidies of up to £5,000 towards buying an electric vehicle, a grant equivalent to 25 per cent of the purchase price, and are exempt from vehicle excise duty.

But Transport Minister Norman Baker insisted the Dft was making good progress, stating it was up to businesses and local authorities whether to add their chargepoints to the database.

He said: “The National Chargepoint Register already lists the majority of Pluggedin Places charge points and this information is being used – for example, by satellite navigation firms – to develop applications which make life easier for drivers.”