ONE of the first electric chargers in the county will be installed in Chelmsford by the end of June.

In all, four will be installed around the county as part of the work from Essex County Council to promote electric vehicles and sustainable travel.

County Hall was awarded £150,000 to install the chargers by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles, and is now working with Siemens and Charge Your Car to fit the chargers in the towns, which also include in Braintree, Colchester and Saffron Walden.

The exact locations of the charges are still to be finalised.

Councillor Rodney Bass, in charge of highways and transport, said: “This is the first network of its kind in the county. It will contribute to the goal of creating a nationwide network of charging points.

“I am glad that the County Council is leading the way in the county to make it easier for drivers to use electric vehicles.”

The chargers can re-charge a car in 20 to 30 minutes.

County Hall said this makes driving an electric car in Essex more practical as drivers can travel further without running out of charge.