Electric vehicle (EV) charging point company Fastned has opened its first charging facility in the UK.
The station on Sunderland’s West Wear Street has four 50kW chargers and two 175kW chargers, which are already enabled for 350kW charging.
Fastned, which currently has more than 90 stations in the Netherlands and Germany, has designed, built and will operate the new station.
The facility is owned by the North East Joint Transport Committee, and funded through the Go Ultra Low Cities Grant and the European Regional Development Fund.
Fastned co-founder and CEO Michiel Langezaal said: “We are pleased to have built this fast charging station where EVs can charge up to 350kW in cooperation with the North East Joint Transport Committee.
“Sunderland is a symbolic city for electric driving, since the factory where the Nissan Leaf is produced, is located here.”
North East Transport Committee chair Councillor Martin Gannon said: “This is a tremendous asset for the North East.
“With another fast-charging station under construction and five more smaller stations planned, we are making it easier for motorists who already drive electric vehicles and those who want to go green and make the switch to a more sustainable form of transport.”