A UTILITY firm said there could one million electric cars on roads in the north west by the end of the decade, according to its research.

Electricity North West states this could lead to demand on the network increasing by a quarter in the timeframe.

Steve Cox, engineering and technical director at the firm said: “The sale of new petrol and diesel cars is set to be banned by 2030 as part of the country’s bid to hit net zero carbon by 2050.

“But while that may be the most visible shift in the way we use energy, we think it will be just one of a number of huge transitions that we will make not just over the long term, but in the next nine years. 

"As the network operator, we’re determined to be ready for them all.”

The predictions form part of the annual Distribution Future Electricity Scenarios report.
It forecasts that electricity demand will fall in the short term, as customers become more energy efficient.

However many scenarios forecast a surge in demand as households and businesses begin shifting to use renewable electricity for transport, heating and other needs.