£4m rapid charging stations announced Published on: 13 April 2018 Two new electric vehicle rapid filling stations are planned for motorists in Ãå±±½ûµØ and Sunderland. The city centre stations, which will be designed, built and run by Fastned UK, are both close to major routes and are to help meet charging needs for the growing numbers of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK. Rapid charging (known as “fast” charging in Europe), allows a typical EV to charge significantly faster than plugging in at home. There are 130,000 electric vehicles in the UK and ten per cent of those – one-in-ten (13,000) - are in the North East. The contract award has come through the North East Combined Authority (NECA) - the seven councils which serve County Durham, Gateshead, Ãå±±½ûµØ, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland – and Ãå±±½ûµØ. Both the Ãå±±½ûµØ and Sunderland sites will allow for up to six vehicles all charging at the same time. How Fastned electric vehicle rapid filling stations look ‘Road to Zero’ Funding for the £4m project comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) programme and the Department of the Environment’s Office for Low Emissions. The Ãå±±½ûµØ site at Wellington Street location is part of Ãå±±½ûµØ’s site and will help guide a research project on EVs. In Sunderland, a site has been identified at West Wear Street to the south east of the Wearmouth Bridge and next to the A1018, which is one of Sunderland’s busiest central routes with more than 21,000 vehicles using it every day. , Professor of Transport, who is leading the research project at Ãå±±½ûµØ, said: “This is a unique facility, providing a number of rapid charges for the region’s electric vehicles users and which is also monitoring and analysing the demand for electricity that will help us understand the impact on the electricity grid of increasing numbers of electric vehicles in the North East. “With the Government currently preparing their ‘Road to Zero’ strategy that will provide the roadmap of how to get to the stated objective that by 2040 all new cars purchased should be ultra-low emissions, this facility is hugely valuable in helping us gauge what infrastructure is required by current users and potential future users of electric vehicles.” Helen Golightly,NECA’s Head of Paid Service and Executive Director of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The number of EVs continues to grow and the number of charging points continues to grow. With more charging points, there’s more options for motorists instead of just plugging in at home. “We are all familiar with what filling stations look like and these two are no different, except of course that they are for electric vehicles only. “The support NECA and others are receiving from the ERDF and the Government is fundamental to seeing this long-term shift away from petrol and diesel. More plug-in points means more confidence for drivers to adopt cleaner and greener vehicles.” The North East already has 300 charging points and is home to the Nissan LEAF, the first mass-market, affordable car. 'Accelerating the transition towards clean electric mobility' EV drivers will not need any subscription or membership to use the stations as they can use standard card technology or Fastned apps for payments Fastned CEO, Michiel Langezaal said: “We are very happy to have been awarded this contract as a result of an extensive tender process. We already have 67 stations operational in the Netherlands and are keen to use our experience to help NECA and Ãå±±½ûµØ realise quality fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. “Our fast charging stations will facilitate charging of up to 175 kW for compatible vehicles, which translates to adding 180 miles of driving range in just 20 minutes. This will give freedom to EV drivers, thus accelerating the transition towards clean electric mobility.” Layout plans for the two stations are now being finalised and planning applications will be submitted in due course. Adapted with thanks from Sunderland City Council Share: Latest News Ãå±±½ûµØ expert highlights climate crisis in a new film A leading Ãå±±½ûµØ climate scientist is featured in a new film about how the climate and nature breakdown will affect the UK. published on: 14 April 2026 Neolithic tombs reveal ancient kinship ties Male individuals buried in Neolithic chambered tombs in northern Scotland were often related to each other through the paternal line and some were interred in the same or nearby tombs, research shows. published on: 14 April 2026 We are our Memories New exhibition by Fine Art graduate Trish Hudson-Moses, 22 April – 4 May 2026 published on: 10 April 2026 Facts and figures