Scotland’s electric vehicle charging network expands

First Minister John Swinney has announced plans to expand the electric vehicle (EV) charging network across Ayrshire and the Glasgow City Region.

A £6.3 million investment from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund will lead to the introduction of 3,550 new public EV charge points across the area.

Swinney also welcomed confirmation from charge point data provider ZapMap that Scotland has already reached its target of installing more than 6,000 public EV charge points, two years ahead of the 2026 target.

The Scottish Government has invested over £65 million in public EV charging since 2011. ZapMap confirmed Scotland had 6,007 public charge points as of October 31, delivered through a combination of public and increasing private sector investment.

As a direct result, per head of population, Scotland has more public EV charge points than any other part of the UK, except London.

The Scottish Government has announced a commitment to “enabling approximately 24,000 additional public charge points by 2030” and it expects the majority of these to be delivered by the private sector.

The Scottish Government has also provided £5.7 million to support the installation of 18,861 domestic charge points and £10.8 million to support 1,432 higher powered workplace charge points.

Swinney said: “Today’s announcement is clear evidence of our commitment to making sustainable travel accessible for everyone in Scotland.

“We need to maintain this rapid progress, working in greater partnership with the private sector to accelerate the pace and scale of delivery right across the country.

“By fast-tracking EV infrastructure, we’re paving the way for a net-zero Scotland while advancing our goal to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

“This is a key example of how the Scottish Government is focused on delivering on our key priorities and I am looking forward to hearing from people in Ayr about how we can continue to deliver for them.

“Connecting with communities across the country enables us to make informed decisions as we strive to create a wealthier, fairer and greener Scotland.”

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “In 2023, we published our Vision for public EV charging infrastructure, highlighting the key role the private sector will play in delivering Scotland’s future EV charging requirements for public charging.

“Through our £30 million EV Infrastructure Fund we are continuing to support public EV charging; providing Local Authorities with funding to enable them to work in partnership with the private sector to continue to expand public EV charging across Scotland.”

Zapmap COO and co-founder Melanie Shufflebotham said:  “Reaching the milestone of 6,000 public chargers across Scotland is a significant achievement, with the Scottish government showing great commitment to the EV sector with the forward-looking investment in the ChargePlace Scotland network over the last decade. This has then been supplemented with other private networks and investment across the country.

“Since the target of 6,000 public EV charge points by 2026 was announced by the Scottish Government in June 2023, charge point infrastructure has grown at an impressive rate – up over 49% from 4,023 in June 2023.

“This number covers many different charging use cases across diverse locations, from low powered on-street chargers to destination chargers at scenic spots to 150kW+ charging hubs.

“It’s exciting to see charging hubs being established across the country, from Inverness and Aberdeen in the north to around the urban centres of Glasgow and Edinburgh. This infrastructure not only supports Scottish EV drivers in their daily travels but also enables visitors to explore the stunning Scottish landscape with confidence on longer journeys.”