A TEESSIDE town is leading the way in provisions for electric cars.

Stockton-on-Tees is in the top ten for electric vehicle charging hotspots of UK.

New research from comparethemarket.com reveals Stockton is eighth in a list of the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) hotspots, which looks at how many public charging points there are, per 100 electric cars, in each local authority.

The Teesside town has 31.6 charging devices per 100 EVs.

Dan Hutson, head of motor insurance at comparethemarket.com, said: “Stockton is one of the top locations in the UK, which is leading the way with high numbers of electric vehicle charging stations per vehicle.

"With the government aiming to make the switch to zero-emission electric vehicles by 2035, It’s great to see towns such as Stockton already building the infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

"With transport links to Middlesbrough, Darlington and York, the high number of electric vehicle charging stations may also encourage electric drivers heading up north to take their pit stops in Stockton, further boosting the economy of this market town."

Councillor Mike Smith, Stockton’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We know more and more people are choosing to use electric vehicles as they offer significant improvements over conventional engines in terms of lower running costs, fuel efficiency, air quality, noise and emissions.

“Sustainable travel is a key part of our transport plans and we’re pleased to offer a number of publicly accessible charging points across the borough.

"We intend to deliver more in the future and it’s really encouraging to see private sector businesses contributing to this change by offering charging points as well. I hope this encourages residents to make the switch to electric vehicles.”