The North East Combined Authority has gone live with the first electric vehicle chargers in partnership with Zest.

The chargers are located at various sites in North Tyneside, giving to fast, reliable public charging at key community locations that include Norfolk Street and Beaconsfield car parks.

The sites form part of a wider regional programme announced last year to deliver 40 fast-charging EV spaces across Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland.

Locations have been selected to help address charging inequality, particularly for drivers without access to off-street parking, and further sites across the region are expected to go live later this year as installation works continue.

The new sites are supported by funding from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund and the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), alongside private investment from Zest.

Karen Clark, elected mayor of North Tyneside and North East Combined Authority Member for Home to the Green Energy Revolution, said: “These chargers are an important step forward in making cleaner travel more accessible. We know that not everyone has a driveway, so providing reliable public charging in the right places matters. By putting chargers in convenient locations for residents, businesses and visitors, we’re giving people easy options for parking and charging as part of their everyday journeys.”

Robin Heap, CEO at Zest, said: “The first EV chargers in North Tyneside mark a significant milestone in the partnership between Zest and the North East Combined Authority. They provide reliable and convenient charging for local drivers, supporting the switch to electric and are the initial phase of the development of a strategically-located, region-wide EV charging network.”