The north-east has a long-standing association with the car parts industry, but its relationship with motoring is about to be brought right up to date.

This is because 619 charging points will be installed throughout the region as it begins to embrace electric car technology, with 40 of these to be based in Newcastle, the Financial Times reports.

In a further boost, Nissan has confirmed that it will start building its Leaf vehicle at its Sunderland plant, the UK’s largest car manufacturing facility.

The only stumbling block, it has been suggested, is that electric cars will take time to become established in the European motoring market.

Al Bedwell of consultancy JD Power told the newspaper that electric vehicles will make up a maximum of five per cent of the continent’s market by 2017.

"The drawbacks and barriers to electric vehicles are still such that it will remain quite a limited market for years to come," he commented.

Nissan’s Sunderland plant recently produced its five millionth vehicle and has seen 11 new car launches since 1986.

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