The Scottish Government has appointed six organisations to help develop Scotland’s EV charging infrastructure and find new innovative ways of providing public charging. Around £210,000 has been set aside to fund the project.
The six companies appointed will work in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, who facilitated the procurement exercise through their ‘Can Do Innovation Challenge’ framework and competition, to test new ways of improving accessibility across ChargePlace Scotland’s electric vehicle charging network.
The principle issues to be addressed are the issue of bay hogging or ICEing, where a non-electric vehicle parks in an EV charging bay and blocks the ability of others wishing to charge, and EV charging accessibility for those with disabilities.
If successful, the participating firms will develop prototypes and distribute any new technology across the network. Further government funding will be provided for this.
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said: “As we transition to a net zero economy, it’s clear to see there are opportunities for Scottish businesses. What I’m also keen to see realised is a net zero future where no one is left behind and is inclusive to all, as we work to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.
Head of Low Carbon Transition at Scottish Enterprise, Andy McDonald said: “It’s important that the infrastructure to support sustainable transport is as accessible as possible and these projects will drive forward innovative solutions to make that happen. I’m pleased Scottish Enterprise has been able to facilitate this through the ‘Can Do Innovation Challenge’ programme in partnership with Transport Scotland.”
Keith Robertson, Lead for Roads, Infrastructure and Active Travel at the Mobility and Access Committee Scotland added: “As Scotland moves towards a net zero carbon economy, it is imperative that the Scottish Government make it inclusive for all on this transformational journey. Given that there are over one million disabled people in Scotland, around 25% of our population, the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) was pleased to be involved in assessing the accessibility of the designs submitted to the challenge fund.”
If you are interested in knowing more about charging infrastructure in Scotland or the rest of the UK please get in touch. A member of our technical team would be happy to answer any questions that you have.