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Region on track to become electric vehicles hub

The region’s status as an emerging hub for electric vehicles was boosted this week by the opening of an open-access test track facility.

Nissan has signed over its test track and workshop building on Wearside to Gateshead College on a 20-year lease, which has been supported by £2.4m in public funding.

The hope is that it will confirm the North East’s leading position for research, development and training in the low carbon vehicle sector.

The facility will be the only centre of its type in Europe linked to a training facility and will compliment the £8.4m Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation, which is currently under construction at the same site and will also be run by Gateshead College.

Companies, academic institutes and researchers in the low carbon vehicle industry will be able to hire the test track and refurbished workshop on a shared or exclusive basis.

The test track is 3km long, has two straights which are each 1km long, a helipad, a range of road surfaces, and facilities for gradient testing and water testing.

Dr Colin Herron, manufacturing and productivity manager at One North East – which awarded the £2.4m in public funding to the project - said: “This unique new facility will be a major boost for training, research and development in the low carbon vehicles sector in the UK and there is real critical mass being created in the North East.

“This will be a unique asset for regional and national companies, and will help to create new jobs by attracting international firms to the region.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .