Scottish government unveils £20 million fund to bolster public EV charging infrastructure

Over £20 million will fund the installation of 800 new charge points across Scotland in a bid to increase the country’s EV uptake.

The Scottish government has announced £20.6 million of funding for the new charging infrastructure, delivered through the Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund (STCCF) and the Local Authority Installation Programme (LAIP).

Five local authorities have been awarded £12.1 million through the first round of STCCF for the delivery of 500 charge points. The remaining £8.5 million has been awarded to 31 local authorities through the LAIP, which will see a further 300 charge points installed.

The aim of the funding is to fill in existing gaps in infrastructure to alleviate range anxiety in Scotland.

Glasgow City Council is to install 70 public charge points, including a new charging hub and charging facilities for taxis and private hire vehicles. Stirling Council will install 133 charging bays, as well as trialling 16 lamp post chargers.

Dundee City Council plans to install 66 charging bays and create a rapid charging hub close to the A90, Edinburgh City Council is to install 134 chargers and Falkirk Council is to install 106, including a 32 bay charging hub with integrated battery storage.

The funding comes as Scotland looks to become a world-leader in decarbonisation, with ScottishPower and Glasgow City Council aiming for Glasgow to be the first net zero city by 2045. The country has set a deadline of 2032 for the end of sales of conventional vehicles. And this is the second block of funding announced for charging infrastructure in the past year, with £15 million announced for 1,500 chargers in September 2018.

Transport secretary Michael Matheson said encouraging the adoption of ultra-low emission vehicles is integral to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth.

“Electric vehicles can bring profound benefits and by announcing over £20 million to support new electric vehicle infrastructure, further reinforcing what is already one of the most comprehensive charging networks in Europe, demonstrates the strength of our continued commitment to this agenda,” Matheson added.

Everything EV Live Scotland, which will build on the success of April’s Everything EV conference in central London, takes place on 10 – 11 September in Edinburgh, and will tackle the challenges and opportunities presented by Scotland’s ambitious EV target. More information on the event can be found here, while tickets can be purchased here.