EV Charging in Scotland: Part 2

While the uptake of electric vehicles has been significantly higher in our cities, the concentration of charge points per electric vehicle is also high in rural areas. The Highlands ranks the highest with 30 EV charging devices per 100 vehicles but Dumfries & Galloway, North Ayrshire and Argyll & Bute are not far behind. Scotland has become a popular tourist destination for travellers seeking epic scenery. As such, driving routes like the North Coast 500 and Fife Coastal Route, helped increase the number of tourists visiting Scotland to around 15 million in 2019. As these tourists flood in, many are demanding electric alternatives to traditionally-fuelled hire cars. Regional authorities have spotted this demand and have channelled funds into charge point infrastructure. 

Cutting through the centre of Scotland are the A9 and A82 and these roads are frequented by many travellers and support services heading North. Pin-pointed as an important area for investment by the Scottish Government, they have teamed up with SP Energy Networks, Transport Scotland and SSE to invest £7.5 million in charge points at service stations in the central Highlands. Fort William has been identified as a green hub for active tourism and the town has expanded its cycle network to allow tourists to get around freely and easily on two wheels.

Elsewhere in Scotland, there are a number of projects worth mentioning. North and South Lanarkshire councils have joined forces to invest £5 million in EV charging and electricity network infrastructure, Kilmarnock is home to Scotland’s first all-electric car park funded by East Ayrshire Council and Gretna is home to the fastest charging station in the country which can fully charge compatible vehicles in just 20 minutes.

Moreover, electric vehicles are the new norm in our coastal towns and islands. Residents have increased awareness of the environmental impact of pollution and are more exposed to rising water levels. Orkney has one of the highest uptakes of electric vehicles in the UK and we are seeing a higher concentration of domestic charge point installations in coastal areas such as the East Neuk in Fife and the West Coast of Galloway. 

In summary, Scotland are very much leading the way when it comes to electric vehicles transformation. We continue to invest heavily in a greener future and there are no signs that this will decrease anytime soon. As we transition towards net-zero, the requirement for charging infrastructure will only increase and electric vehicles will become a common site on our roads. We are very excited to be a part of this transition and look forward to what the future may bring.

If you are an individual, business owner or fleet manager in Scotland and you are considering switching to electric, please get in touch. A member of our team would be happy to any questions that you have. Call us on 0141 280 8890 or drop us an email at info@britetechnicalservices.co.uk.

We also have a variety of platforms available with extensive information about electric vehicles (brite-ev.com), EV chargepoints (evchargepoints.com) and EV accessories (briteaccessories.com).

Appendix:

(All information obtained from Compare the Market’s EV charging hotspots data)