Could the North East be one of the top places for electric car sales?

According to new data from HSBC, the region has some of the most ‘well-developed’ publicly-funded electric vehicle infrastructure.

Almost three quarters of the UK population has limited access to publicly-funded chargepoints.

And HSBC suggests that despite rising demand for electric vehicles and increasing awareness of the health issues caused by poor air quality, there are nearly 17,000 people in the UK for every publicly-available electric vehicle chargepoint.

Scott McClurg, head of energy and sustainability for HSBC Corporate Banking, said: “Chargepoints are a vital barometer for the health of the electric vehicle market.

“Infrastructure is fundamental to the successful transition to emission-free driving and so far the UK is falling short in many regions.

“While the major forecourt owners plan how to balance rising demand for chargepoints with the ongoing need for petrol and diesel pumps, there is an opportunity for private investors to plug the chargepoint gap across the UK.”

It is widely thought that the number of electric vehicle chargepoints registered in the UK will grow exponentially in the next five years, but HSBC warns this is unlikely unless private sector investment increases.

The bank says just four regions of the UK have an above-average number of public chargepoints per person.

The North East has the most well-developed electric vehicle chargepoint infrastructure, with just under 4,000 people sharing every chargepoint in the region.

However, the majority of the country still suffers from massive gaps in public chargepoint infrastructure. In Wales, around 100,000 people (98,806) must share each public chargepoint available.

Scott McClurg added: “National Grid recently announced plans to overcome the challenge of long-distance electric vehicle travel. Urgent attention must now be given to local, urban solutions as more consumers and businesses transition to electric vehicles.

“If the North East is to shift to electric vehicles in the long term, the overall volume of chargepoints has to improve across the board.”