Electric vehicle charging infrastructure races ahead in Scotland

The rollout of electric vehicle charging points in Scotland is now second only to London, according to new figures.

There are now 12 rapid chargers per 100,000 people, compared to a UK average of nearly seven, while across all charging types Scotland is second only to London across the whole of the UK with 47 devices for every 100,000.

In comparison, the rest of the UK has an average of 36, and London has 83 for every 100,000 people.

As of March 2021, more than 30,000 licensed vehicles in Scotland were classed at ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), with the majority being either a pure battery or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Andy Robinson, head of fleets, infrastructure and low carbon consumers at Transport Scotland, said: “Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, it’s encouraging to see we’re leading the way in charger provision outside of London, and taking forward exemplar initiatives such as project PACE.

“We’re looking at ways of extending this approach with our partners, as we seek to further accelerate the growth of public EV charging infrastructure in Scotland.

“As we transition to a net-zero economy and tackle the climate emergency it’s crucial we encourage people to consider walking, wheeling and cycling as the default choice of travel. But we also know that some households will need to retain access to a car.

“And to support that we need to provide good quality, user-friendly infrastructure across all communities in Scotland, ensuring no one misses out on the benefits the switch to zero emission brings.

“The charging network, EV loans and public sector leadership are all helping us towards that.”

The Scottish Government has invested more than £45 million to develop the ChargePlace Scotland Network, which provides more than 1,900 public charge points across Scotland.

It is also taking a number of approaches to further grow and develop public EV charging infrastructure.

One such initiative is Project PACE, which has had £5.3m of Scottish Government funding.

Led by SP Energy Networks and supported by North and South Lanarkshire Councils, Project PACE has installed 170 public EV charge points across 44 hub locations in Lanarkshire since summer 2020.

Transport Scotland has invested more than £47m in 3,450 vehicles across the public sector fleet and is set to provide a further £12m this year.

It is also working with housing associations and other community groups to fund zero-emission car clubs, with investment of more than £918,000, providing access to modern zero-emission vehicles while reducing the need for personal car ownership.

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