A REGENERATION charity is trying out an electric car in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint.

Social enterprise Groundwork North-East, which has previously installed a wind turbine and solar panels, is hoping to make business travel for employees more environmentally friendly by trialling the Nissan Leaf.

The car, which is manufactured in the region, is 100 per cent electric, and when it is charged at Groundwork's Stanley headquarters, draws electricity from the organisation's on-site wind turbine rather than the National Grid.

Groundwork will assess how much the electric car saves in carbon dioxide emissions and running costs, compared to employees using their own vehicles, during a six-month period.

It will be used by eight staff to travel to meetings and projects across Tyneside, Wearside, the Tees Valley and Northumberland.

Kate Culverhouse, managing director, said: "We continually strive to increase awareness and understanding of environmental issues and to reduce Groundwork North East's carbon footprint.

"It is anticipated that the electric vehicle will be much more cost effective than a conventional vehicle."

The car is being trialled through the Switch EV project, which is funded by the Technology Strategy Board's Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Program.