SUFFOLK’s bid to become a haven for electric vehicles shifted up a gear as financial plans were revealed for a project to install 63 plug-in posts across Ipswich.

A bid has been delivered to Westminster detailing the �7million project to install 600 plug-in posts across the East of England – giving drivers of electric cars the chance to charge their vehicles at the end of a journey and effectively doubling their range.

As well as more than 63 proposed plug-in posts, other sites in the region include 10 posts at Stansted, 84 posts in Cambridge and a further 84 in Norwich.

The planned network, which has been called Evalu8, would mean any local business or resident in the East of England would be no further than 25 miles away from their nearest charging post, making the whole of the region navigable by electric cars. Vicky Ford, MEP for the East of England, said: “With innovative local businesses throughout the advanced manufacturing and low-carbon sectors, the East of England has the potential to lead the way and become a real test bed for new technologies – to drive forward the development of next generation electric vehicles.”

Ben Gummer, MP for Ipswich, said that it was an exciting time for the town and its residents.

He later added: “Ipswich has a very proud engineering history and I am very keen for it once again to be at the forefront of new technologies.”

The final decision on the allocation of the Government’s “Plugged in Places” funding scheme is expected by the end of December.

To find out more about the East of England’s Plugged in Places bid, visit www.eastofengland.uk.com