Nissan Agree to 619 Free Charge Points

One North East and Nissan sign a deal securing the production of zero-emission vehicles in the region.

The Regional Development Agency (RDA), One North East has come to a deal with the motoring manufacturer Nissan as they enter the next phase of their partnership on the development of zero emission mobility in North East England.

Having already built a strong presence in the area building the Nissan Micra for many years, the Japanese company are looking cement the future of the North East as a centre for electric vehicle production.

The agreement includes incentives for drivers to make the switch and initiatives that will be introduced throughout 2010 and 2011.

One term of the agreement is the installation of at least 619 publicly available, ‘future-proof’ charging points by January 1, 2011, which will support both 3kW and 7kW charges and will also include twelve 50kW ‘rapid-charging’ stations. Electricity at the 619 charging points will be provided free of charge until March 31, 2012, or until an itemised billing system becomes available.

As part of the agreement, One North East has already installed two charging points for public use within its own head office car park at Newburn Riverside in Newcastle. Nissan hope to mass produce their zero-emission vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, and sell many of them to the area so people can take advantage of the new infrastructure.

One North East Chairman Margaret Fay said:

“Today marks a significant step forward in our ambitions to become a leading global location for ultra low carbon vehicles. The commitments we are making today will show industry and consumers alike that North East England is serious about electric vehicles."

"We look forward to stimulating and shaping this emerging industry which will create new jobs for our region and help to reduce CO2 emissions.”

“With no tailpipe and no emissions, Nissan LEAF redefines the automotive experience – and delivers the performance, roominess, comfort, safety features and quality that people expect from Nissan," said Trevor Mann.

"Thanks to One North East's efforts, the necessary conditions – including infrastructure and incentives – will soon be in place to allow rapid adoption of Nissan LEAF and other electric vehicles in this region."

The Definitive Agreement also includes One North East’s commitment to a £2.4m investment in the National Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and a £2.3m investment in the Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Development Centre.

E. Dooley