Scotland’s first EV charging hub delivered through a strategic partnership with the Scottish Government and electricity network companies has now been installed in Strathclyde Country Park.
Using a new model of delivery to improve efficiency, Project Pace has now installed EV charging infrastructure at the first of over 40 sites across North and South Lanarkshire to be delivered by April next year.
A Scottish government investment of £5.3m will deliver up to 180 new public EV charge points for the ChargePlace Scotland network, which will more than triple EV charging capacity across Lanarkshire by April 2021.
The project is being delivered by SP Energy Networks as part of the EV Strategic Partnership between electricity network companies and the Scottish government, which was announced by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in August 2019.
Project Pace is being facilitated by North and South Lanarkshire Councils, who are working in collaboration with Transport Scotland and SP Energy Networks in order to test a new approach to planning and delivering EV charging infrastructure.
Scotland’s cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, Michael Matheson, attended Strathclyde Park to see the new charging hub, which comprises six charge points, and to also welcome a £1.2m investment from SP Energy Networks to Lanarkshire Community Transport groups through the Green Economy Fund.
He said: “I’m pleased to see the first charging hub delivered through Project Pace. The initiative demonstrates how collaboration and a joined-up approach will facilitate Scotland’s green recovery.
“This is part of our EV Strategic Partnership with Scotland’s electricity distribution network operator companies that is helping understand the vital role they can play in delivering more charging infrastructure in a cost efficient and effective way.”
According to Matheson, Scotland currently has the highest level of rapid EV charging provision per head of population in comparison to the rest of the UK.
The project is part of Scotland’s ambition to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032, with Scottish government investing over £30m in the ChargePlace Scotland network.
