COUNTY Durham has set out its green credentials for the future by opening one of the first rapid charging stations for electric vehicles in the region.
Fastned, the European rapid charging company, who has set up thousands of charging facilities across the continent, travelled to the A688 in Barnard Castle yesterday (February 21) – where it unveiled its most recent addition to its network.
Located on the town’s main access road, the station is Teesdale’s first rapid charging station for electric vehicles.
Comprising six chargers, each supplied by 100 per cent renewable energy, and are capable of adding up to 100 miles of range to fully electric cars in half an hour, the station is the seventh Fastned station in the North East, and will serve the fast growing community of EV drivers in the area.
According to the charging company, ten per cent of all electric vehicles (EVs) registered in the UK are driven on the North East’s roads, with this proportion only increasing – registration of EVs is up 45 per cent in 2021 in the North East.
The opening of the station in Barnard Castle follows on from the town seeing its best year for tourists in 2021 – up by 20 per cent compared to 2019.
