Darlington hospital grows electric vehicle network

Darlington Memorial Hospital has been equipped with electric vehicle charging points.

Up to four vehicles can use the two 7KW charging points, installed as part of the North East Charge Your Car project along with County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

Bill Headley, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust’s Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “With the North East leading the charge in the UK in terms of the development of electric vehicles, it is obviously important that there are enough facilities available to keep people moving in the region.

“We all have a part to play in protecting the environment and the installation of these car-charging points forms part of the Trust’s work in encouraging sustainability. The points are available for anyone to use, 24 hours a day and having them here now is in many ways future-proofing the site, as sales of electric vehicles are predicted to rise sharply in coming years.”

The Charge Your Car campaign has already been responsible for the installation of over 850 charge points at homes, workplaces and public locations.

Josey Wardle, Project Manager at the North East Charge Your Car programme, said: “The prime objective of the project is to ensure that drivers are never too far away from a charging post. The network now stretches from Berwick to Redcar and from South Tyneside to Hexham with a range of places in between.

“These new facilities at Darlington Memorial Hospital are an important part of the network as more people turn to electric vehicles. With the number of electric vehicles growing and new models being introduced to the market, it is fantastic that partners such as County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust are able to offer charging infrastructure to their visitors.”