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Economic Development

Osprey targets North East for thousands of new electric vehicle charging hubs

Knight Frank has been appointed to find sites around the region for Osprey charging hubs

Osprey is looking to install thousands of EV charging points across the region(Image: Osprey)

An electric vehicle charging hub developer has announced plans to install thousands of rapid charging points in the North East to keep up with rising ownership of EVs.

Osprey is actively searching for sites across the region amid plans to create the charging points close to major motorway and A-roads in urban and edge-of-town locations, following a rise in EV ownership in the North East.

Knight Frank in Newcastle has been appointed to source locations, after the recent research by the firm showed the North East saw a 1,049% increase in EV registrations over the past nine years - with 5,555 electric vehicles registered in 2020 – up from just 349 in 2011.

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The property consultancy has so far found three North East sites which now have Osprey charge hubs, at Tyneview Retail Park in Prudhoe, Willowburn Retail Park in Alnwick and Northumberland Retail Park in North Tyneside – all of which are owned by Northumberland Estates.

The move comes after warnings in a that plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 are under threat because of a failure to provide charging points for electric vehicles.

The cross-party committee’s report found that drivers won’t buy the new vehicles unless they are able to charge them - and there is currently a “postcode lottery” which means some areas have far fewer charging points than others.

In a survey accompanying the report 69% cited a lack of public charge points as a reason not to purchase an electric vehicle.