Earlier this year, the Department for Health and Social Care awarded £10 million to 120 NHS sites across 42 trusts to support electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the electrification of the NHS fleet.
As part of this funding, North East Ambulance Service has been awarded £2.2 million to install rapid electric vehicle charge points at seven ambulance stations across the region.
The investment will deliver 46 high‑powered DC charging ports with a total power capacity of 1,250kW, enabling emergency vehicles to charge at speeds of up to 150–200kW (vehicle‑dependent) and reach 80 per cent charge in around 15 minutes.
Martin Gibson, environmental sustainability manager at North East Ambulance Service, said: “Becoming a more sustainable organisation is not just about reducing our environmental impact – it’s about protecting health and strengthening patient care. By investing in cleaner, more efficient transport and the infrastructure to support it, we can reduce emissions, improve air quality in the communities we serve and reinvest long‑term savings back into frontline services. This funding helps us build a more resilient ambulance service for patients now and in the future.”
Charging infrastructure will be installed at:
- Alnwick
- Backworth
- Bishop Auckland
- Blucher
- Coulby Newham
- Consett
- Stockton
This investment will support the NHS to realise annual operational savings of £59 million from reduced fuel and maintenance costs, helping deliver the NHS Net Zero Travel and Transport Strategy. It will also enable wider social benefits through reduced emissions and improved air quality in the communities we serve.
This funding brings total Government investment in NHS charging infrastructure to £22 million, following the Department for Transport’s recent announcement of a £4 million extension to the Chargepoint Accelerator Scheme, building on £8 million previously provided by DfT.
The new charging infrastructure directly supports NEAS’s electric emergency vehicle rollout, including the upcoming trial of electric ambulances and the wider work already underway to ensure vehicles can be introduced safely, reliably and sustainably.
You can read more about the electric vehicle rollout, trial activity and how staff can get involved on the Fleet SharePoint page: https://
Further updates on installation timelines and progress will be shared as the project moves forward.