Electric cars could be commonplace on the streets of Belfast in the not too distant future.
The city is gearing up to become one of the first places in the UK to introduce the green initiative.
If a Northern Ireland bid is successful, charging points could be dotted around Belfast to pioneer plug-in cars.
Environment Minister Edwin Poots said: “We are also looking at the potential for Belfast to bid to be one of the six UK cities to plug in electric cars.
“That would create an opportunity for Northern Ireland to further develop the electric car industry.”
Some 11,000 charging points for electric cars are to be built in London, Milton Keynes and north-east England over the next three years, supported by £30m of Government money for the Plugged-In Places Scheme.
Three consortia will install charging points at locations such as supermarkets, public car parks and domestic streets.
A second wave of Plugged-In Places will follow later this year, with the West Midlands, Cornwall and Greater Manchester already confirmed bidders.
Mr Poots said: “The real benefit of an electric car is that it can be plugged in at night.
“And because that energy is being produced at night, it has a carbon neutral effect.”
He added: “Ultimately, the way forward for transportation in the United Kingdom will be that many more electric cars will use renewable energy and will not have the damaging impact on the environment that combustible engines have.”
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Source: belfasttelgraph.co.uk
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