Electric car milestone reached two years ahead of target as drivers pushed to ditch petrol and diesel
Scotland is celebrating a massive milestone in its bid to remove petrol and diesel cars and vans from the road by beating its public EV charger goal two years ahead of the target.
New data has found that Scotland has now installed more than 6,000 public electric vehicle chargers – two years earlier than originally planned.
Key players have praised the work of the Scottish Government and private sector investment to help motorists have the confidence to switch to an electric car.
First Minister John Swinney has confirmed that the Scottish Government will invest a further £6.3million through the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund.
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He said this would deliver around 3,550 more charge points in partnership with the private sector around the country.
It is hoped that the additional funding will help drivers make the switch away from petrol and diesel cars and vans, with the aim of this being by 2030.
Swinney added: “I’m pleased that we’ve reached our target of 6,000 public EV charge points across the country – doing so two years ahead of target.
“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.”
Scotland has the most public EV chargers per person than any other part of the UK, except for London, according to Zapmap.
Drivers in Scotland also have access to more public EV charge points than any other UK region, with 26.1 charging devices per 100,000 people. This is compared to 18.5 devices across the UK.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, noted how the Government’s Vision report was published in 2023 and set out plans to create a “comprehensive, convenient and efficient” charging network.
It outlined a commitment to enable around 24,000 extra public charging points by 2030, with the majority of these expected to come from the private sector.
Hyslop added: “Through our £30million 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.
“This approach is paying dividends – ensuring faster delivery and greater reliability of public charge points across the country.
“I’m pleased to welcome the matched investment from businesses such as IONITY which is helping to scale up the provision of public EV charging across Scotland.”
The October update from Zapmap found that Scotland has 6,007 public chargers in total, with 1,565 of these being rapid or ultra-rapid chargers.
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Melanie Shufflebotham, COO and co-founder of Zapmap, 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.
“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.”