MALVERN will be one of the first places to have electric car charge sockets readily available on its streets.

The town is one of four West Midlands locations selected for a pioneering project to encourage the use of environmentally friendly transport options over the next three years.

Worcester, Coventry and Birmingham have been selected as the region’s other “Plugged-In Places”.

The £6.3 million project will see more than 500 charge posts installed in ‘high profile’ locations such as railway stations and shopping centres from 2011-2013.

Malvern’s famous Morgan Motor Company is a supporter of electric technology, and has been developing its own hybrid vehicle, known as the LIFECar, for several years.

The LIFECar is being developed with a high-tech “hybrid drivetrain” and will offer a range of up to 1,000 miles. It will, however, also be able to run purely as an electric vehicle, with a 15-mile range.

Morgan has been working with Oxford, Birmingham City and Cranfield Universities on the car, which is about two years away from production.

Owner Charles Morgan welcomed the news that Malvern had been chosen for the pilot programme.

“I think it is fantastic for Malvern, although I do remain a little dubious that the pure electric car is the answer that we are looking for,” he said.

The pilot is being managed by Cenex (the UK’s centre of excellence for low carbon vehicle technologies) and the Central Technology Belt.

It forms part of wider efforts by the Government to switch motorists to electric vehicles, with grants of up to £5,000 per electric car to be launched in 2011.

Malvern Hills District Council’s energy champion John Raine called this week’s announcement “brilliant news”.

“It fits very well with the reputation that Malvern has for being part of the technology belt, and is also particularly appropriate because we are one of the lead Transition towns and have long had an environmentally conscious reputation,” he said.

Alan White, CEO of the Central Technology Belt, is “proud and excited” that the Midlands has been selected for the project.

“Embracing innovation is an important way to support our region’s continuing economic development, so being recognised as a ‘Plugged-In Place’ really boosts our profile,” he said.