Electric and low carbon vehicles

Electric and low carbon vehicles

The North East is leading the way in the development of electric vehicles and we are committed to supporting the growth of electric car use.

We are working with our partners and neighbouring local authorities to improve and develop the charging network.

Our charging posts are managed by Charge Your Car (CYC) and electric vehicle drivers can access the charging posts via their networks, which include:

  • The CYC card
  • The CYC app
  • An automated phone line for drivers to pay for charging without having to join CYC.

You can get more information from the CYC website, including a map showing where the charge points can be found.

 

Parking

In October 2018 we introduced parking charges for the use of electric vehicle parking spaces in public car parks in the city.

This decision followed a review of electric vehicle parking in the city and consultation.

The reason for this decision was that a large number of bays were being used predominantly as a means of free all-day parking, which meant few bays were available for people travelling into town after the morning peak travel time.

If you drive an electric vehicle and regularly use car parks in the city centre you could consider getting a parking permit

 

Reporting a problem with a charging post

A problem with a charging post must be reported to Charge Your Car. You will need to provide the location number on the charging post which has the fault.

You can contact CYC in a number of ways.

  • By phone. Call 0191 265 0500 between 8am and 6pm on weekdays. If your call is out of hours a recorded message will give you an alternative number to call.
  • If you are deaf or hard of hearing please email admin@chargeyourcar.org.uk for help on accessing the helplines.

 

Home charging

If you have a driveway or a garage you may be eligible for a government grant towards the purchase and installation of an electric vehicle charging point at your home.

Check the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles website for information and details of the grants available when buying an electric vehicle.

 

Information for business owners

There are grants available to businesses for electric vehicle charging for fleet vehicles and employee cars.

The Plug-In Van grant has been available to small commercial vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes since 2012. This has since been expanded to cover larger trucks and businesses can benefit from grants of up to £20,000 when switching to electric vehicles.

There is also a £7.5m workplace charging scheme for private and public sector workplaces to support the installation of charging points for staff and fleet vehicles.

Further information can be found on the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles  website.

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