Zero Carbon Futures has been set up to oversee the growth of the low carbon vehicle sector in the North East of England. Gateshead College has established Zero Carbon Futures to take on the work previously led by One North East. It will deliver a range of local and national programmes, all geared up to advance the region as a European leader in the production of low carbon vehicles. This follows the College’s successful £6.2m Regional Growth Fund bid to create 5,000 jobs over the next decade, including 1,500 apprenticeships in the low carbon vehicle sector.

The company is based in Gateshead College’s new £10m Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation, in Washington, Tyne & Wear. Part of its remit is to oversee the conversion of the former Nissan test track into the North of England’s first Performance Track.

North East England is already home to the electric Nissan LEAF production facility and battery assembly plant. Gateshead College provides training and learning in all key areas of the sector and will also be progressing the government’s Plugged in Places programme, which aims to install over 1,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging points across the region by 2013.

Zero Carbon Futures is led by Dr Colin Herron who is a Visiting Professor of Engineering at Sunderland University and was a key member of the RDA’s low carbon vehicle team.

Further information:
www.zerocarbonfutures.co.uk