Manchester Electric Car Company (MECC) will introduce the Manchester Electric network of Pod Centres where people can buy a range of electric vehicles including cars, vans, scooters and bikes. There will also be centres where drivers can lease, hire and charge EVs, join an electric car club, shop or buy a coffee.

The first of these Pod Centres will be at Manchester Airport, Manchester City Centre, Oldham, MediaCityUK, Stockport and the Trafford Centre, with more to follow. MECC's medium term plan is for around 25 Pod Centres across Greater Manchester.

The scheme follows the awarding of £3.6m of support through the Government-funded "Plugged In Places" scheme to a consortium from Greater Manchester, led by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA).

The scheme will help Greater Manchester to reduce its greenhouse gas emission by at least 34% by 2020.

Ron Stratton CEO of MECC, said: 'Electric vehicles, from family cars to scooters or fleet vehicles, are going to transform the way we live and work. With new vehicles being released by major manufacturers, and with the cost of motoring continuing to rise, now is the time to switch over. The future is electric.

'These charging points and Pod Centres are just the start. I expect to oversee a tenfold increase in the number of charging points over the next few years.'