Rapid charging company Fastned has opened an EV charging station at Barnard Castle in County Durham.
The station is located on the A688, the town’s main access road, and includes six chargers, each of which is supplied by 100% renewable energy.
These chargers can add up to 100 miles of range to fully-electric cars in 30 minutes.
About ten per cent of all electric vehicles registered in the UK are in the North East, and in 2021 registration of EVs rose 45 per cent in the region.
Tom Hurst, UK country manager and network development manager for Fastned, said: “We are delighted to bring fast, reliable charging to the town, providing a service to local residents that is becoming more and more important and making Barnard Castle an even more attractive destination for visitors from across the UK.
“Our great relationships with local leaders in the North East have enabled us to roll out a number of stations as part of public tenders, laying the groundwork for this completely Fastned funded rapid charging station – the first for Teesdale – and more that we have planned for the region.”
Cllr Mark Wilkes, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, added: “It is great to see both the public and private sector working towards improving the county’s electrical vehicle infrastructure to make it more accessible for residents who use them.
“As a council we have established a Climate Emergency Response Plan which outlines a number of programmes we are undertaking to tackle climate change, including increasing the availability of electric vehicle charge points.”
