Introduction | Transport Scotland

Since the publication of the draft Vision in January 2022, Scotland has entered into an exciting new chapter in the development of its public electric vehicle charging network. This is focused on building upon the progress made over the past decade with the ChargePlace Scotland network, and moving beyond, to an approach centred on accelerating private investment in the public charging network, at scale and pace, across the length and breadth of Scotland.

The Vision is purposely strategic. It is not an action plan but is intended to be an enduring reflection of the attributes of an exemplar Scottish public electric vehicle charging network. It will help guide action by public, private and third sector partners in the future development of the network. 

It is focused on the charging needs of cars and vans, and, is intended to help guide the development of Scotland’s network over the coming years. People, including local communities, businesses and visitors across all of Scotland – whether urban or rural – are at its heart. It is clear that the network needs to be financed, grown and operated by the private sector as well as being integrated within a clean, green electricity system, harnessing Scotland’s abundant renewable energy resources. Importantly, the Vision is aligned with the Scottish Government’s wider ambition of reducing the reliance on cars for everyday journeys and promoting greater use of public and shared transport as well as active travel.

Feedback on the Vision has been gathered from a range of stakeholders. This has validated its original focus and has been used to update text, bringing further clarity where appropriate. The Vision will be the framework to guide collaborative action by both the public and private sectors to achieve the public charging network that’s right for Scotland and in line with a just transition to net zero. Some of the steps needed to implement the Vision have already begun, including the launch of the new EV Infrastructure Fund, designed to leverage £60m of public and private investment to double the size of the public charging network to 6,000 charge points between now and 2026.

The following sections of this document firstly summarise the Vision, and then provide a brief contextual overview of each element.