North East-based A19 Insurance, which operates from offices in Boldon Colliery, offers policies tailored to meet the needs of electric vehicle owners and is also able to provide expert advice and support.

Now it has taken delivery of a pair of range-topping LEAF Tekna models, each bearing the company’s livery, from Benfield Nissan in Gateshead.

The move comes as the company launches its new website ElectricCar.Insure to capitalise on surging levels of EV ownership across the UK.

Director Kevin Slowther said: ‘I bought a LEAF as my personal car back in 2011 and since then I’ve watched electric car ownership soar, particularly here in the North East where the infrastructure is so fantastic.

‘But the trouble is that most people now use comparison sites and the like when choosing their car insurance and those sites simply haven’t caught up with the times. When you go online for a quote, they might ask you if your car is petrol or diesel but not whether it’s electric. And they might ask you whether you own or lease the car. But with an EV, you might own the car but lease the battery.’

He added: ‘As a business we understand electric cars and the specific needs and requirements of EV owners and our aim is to make insuring an electric vehicle more straightforward, hassle-free and hopefully cheaper.’