The first electric vehicle (EV) chargers delivered through the partnership between the North East Combined Authority and Zest are now live.
The chargers offer drivers in North Tyneside access to fast, reliable public charging at key community locations. 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.
Zest’s new chargers are designed to support everyday journeys for local residents while also serving visitors to town centres, leisure facilities and coastal destinations, it said. The locations have been selected to help address charging inequality, particularly for drivers without access to off-street parking.
Supported by funding from HM Government’s Levelling Up Fund and the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), alongside private investment from Zest, the programme supports the North East Mayor’s ambition for a more connected, greener transport network, it said.
Further sites across the region are expected to go live later this year as installation works continue.
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. This is about supporting a greener future while making life simpler for the people who live, work and spend time in North Tyneside.”
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.”
