Local Councils invest to expand EV charging infrastructure Lanarkshire, Scotland

A new project which could see up to £5 million ($6.5 million) investment in Electric Vehicle (EV) charging and electricity network infrastructure across Lanarkshire is being backed by the North and South Lanarkshire Councils.

The public use hubs will be created in car parks owned and operated by both North and South Lanarkshire Councils, in a bid to meet ambitious plans by the Scottish Government to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.

Preparations for the trial, know as Project PACE, are already underway and aim to determine optimum EV charge point locations and the electricity network infrastructure required to support them. It aims to increase the number of EV chargers across Lanarkshire by 500% which will mean the number across Scotland will rise by 25% in one year.

Locations under consideration will fill in the gaps where commercial charging points won't be placed and align areas of potential demand. New sites will take into account existing electricity infrastructure location and capacity, available land and the need to provide public access.

Councillor Michael McPake, Convener of the Environment and Transportation Committee, welcomed the decision to support the project, saying: “This is an innovative, ambitious plan for Lanarkshire that will see a real increase in the electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the ChargePlace Scotland network in North Lanarkshire, by the end of this year. The Scottish Government targets aim to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032, and these plans are designed to pave the way for that to become a reality. The new network will contribute to reducing air pollution and providing access to clean energy for our residents, and the project fits with this council's ambition to be the place to live, learn, work, invest and visit.”

The £7.5 million ($9.75 million) Strategic Partnership between the Scottish Government, including Transport Scotland, SP Energy Networks and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks was announced by the First Minister on 29 August 2019.

Scott Mathieson, Director of Network Planning and Regulation at SP Energy Networks, said: “We're focused on ensuring Scotland has access to a world-leading electric vehicle charging network and the electricity infrastructure needed to support. That's why we are uniquely positioned, as the distribution network operator, to lead this project which aims to increase the number of EV chargers across the two trial areas. This will serve as a blueprint for other areas across the country in the shift to electric vehicles, ensuring every community has equal access to charging points connected into Scotland's electricity networks.”