As part of the £37m scheme, the Government has said that any public sector organisation – such as the police, NHS, local government – wanting an on-site charging point will now have the installation carried out for free. In addition local authorities will gain a 75% contribution towards the cost of installing public chargers with a similar contribution being made to chargers installed at railways stations and private drivers’ home addresses.

John Martin, Nissan’s senior vice president for manufacturing in Europe, said: ‘We are at a crossroads in personal mobility. Nissan is proudly pioneering zero emission technology through our UK operations and we are delighted that the UK Government is showing it shares our commitment to the transport of the future.

‘Electric vehicles become a way of life if the charging infrastructure is in place and Governments are committed to helping drivers to make the switch. We know this from the experiences of Nissan LEAF drivers in countries like Norway where a network of charge points is already in place.

‘Manufacturing lithium-ion batteries and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF at our Sunderland Plant has already put the UK at the forefront of electric vehicle technology. This announcement has the potential to make the UK a global leader in EV infrastructure and in turn to accelerate the introduction of electric vehicles in Britain.’