The scheme will see a total of 200 charge points go live in the summer in 10 districts.

In addition, private sector partners, such as NCP, Manchester Central, Manchester Metropolitan University, Salford University and Intu Trafford Centre will provide their own charging bays to supplement the network.

Customers wishing to use the charging bays will be able to do so from July. They will be able to either register through the TfGM website and then receive an access card in the post, or simply pay as you go either by phone or by mobile app.

The scheme pricing is yet to be confirmed, but users will pay a flat rate per hour to recharge their vehicle. To recharge a typical EV (7kwh/32amp capability) fully in a GMEV bay will take around 3-4 hours and cost no more than £6. This will enable an EV driver to travel around 100 miles and is three times faster than charging at home.

The GMEV scheme will be operated by Charge Your Car (CYC) a specialist in EV charging networks. CYC will manage the payments and access to the GMEV scheme on behalf of TfGM.

The scheme is being financed by £1.7m from the Office for Low Emission Vehicle’s (OLEV) funded “Plugged In Places” scheme as well as an additional £1m from a consortium from Greater Manchester, led by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA).

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: ‘The launch of the Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle scheme underlines the Government’s commitment to ensuring the UK continues to be a world leader in the electric car industry.

‘Plug-in vehicles can help the consumer by offering a good driving experience and low running costs. They can help the environment by cutting pollution. And most importantly of all, they can help the British economy by creating skilled manufacturing jobs in a market that is bound to get bigger.’

TfGM was at paints to point out that the scheme will run in tandem with existing work to reduce the impact of transport on carbon emissions, including investment in the Metrolink expansion, the bus network’s fleet of low-carbon, hybrid buses and the hydropower plant at Rochdale Interchange and wind turbine at Horwich Parkway Railway Station.