KNUTSFORD service station is set to be boosted in terms of the availability of rapid electric vehicle charging points.

As part of a wider £60 million investment programme, significant additional capacity for electric vehicle charging has been created at the region’s busiest motorway services.

Upgrades carried out on the electricity network mean that around 350 rapid electric vehicle charging points can be installed at Knutsford, Burtonwood, Lymm, Hapsford and Sandbach services.

This will make electric vehicle travel more accessible, giving motorway users the confidence that they can complete long distance journeys through the north west.

The upgrade to infrastructure contributes to the decarbonisation of car travel in the region and is a step towards meeting a goal to make the north west the UK’s first net-zero region by 2040.

Guy Jefferson chief operating officer at Scottish Power, said: “The work we have completed across the five motorway service sites will help make low-carbon travel a reality for more and more people.

“This will support them to make the switch to electric transport and do their bit on the journey to net zero.”

Chief executive of Moto service stations, Ken McKeikan, added: “These network upgrades will be pivotal in helping us deliver on our commitment to supporting a more sustainable future of motoring.

“This is particularly as 2030 and the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars draws closer.”

The upgrade work involved installing new electricity substations at the five service sites and connecting them to the existing electricity network with new underground cables.