Scottish government pledge £20m for EV infrastructure

£20.6m will be spent supporting the transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) in Scotland, the Scottish Government has announced.

Five local authorities have been awarded £12.1m in support through the first round of the Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund which will bring a further 500 charge points to the public.

£8.5m will come from the latest phase of the Local Authority Installation Programme that will see 31 local authorities receive a share in funding throughout the financial year for electric vehicle infrastructure to deliver approximately 300 charge points.

The programme aims to fill gaps in existing infrastructure provision in order to promote range confidence for electric vehicle drivers across Scotland.

Scotland has an aim of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2032, 8 years before the rest of the UK.

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson announced the funding at a new EV charging hub outside Falkirk Stadium, which has benefitted from over half a million pounds of government and EU support.

Edinburgh – Photo Credit – Pixabay

Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson said: ‘Supporting the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles is integral to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth.

‘Electric vehicles are a key component of our Climate Change Plan and our goal of making Scotland’s air quality the best in Europe.

‘Electric vehicles can bring profound benefits and by announcing over £20m 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.’

In related news, Scotland’s Plugged-In Households Grant Fund recently opened for social housing providers, third sector and community organisations to receive electric vehicle (EV) car hire clubs.

£500,000 is available to help tenants, local residents and staff access EVs on demand through the clubs.

The fund, which launched for the first time in October 2018, has already created opportunities for people to drive low emission vehicles in Aberdeenshire, Elgin, Fife, Glasgow, Midlothian, Paisley and Orkney. In total, it’s claimed the clubs will now be available to over 100,000 households.