Rutherglen will form part of a pilot area for an ambitious electric vehicle charging project as Scotland gears up for the phasing out of new petrol and diesel cars and vans.
South Lanarkshire Council’s community and enterprise resources committee last week backed an initiative which could see up to £5 million investment being pumped into electric vehicle (EV) charging and electricity network infrastructure in the area.
Public use hubs will be created in car parks owned and operated by both South and North 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.
Members of the committee were told that preparatory work with Transport Scotland and SP Energy Networks is underway, as part of Project PACE, which aims to determine optimum EV charge point locations and the electricity network infrastructure required to support them.
Locations being considered align with areas of potential demand, taking into account existing electricity infrastructure location and capacity, available land and the need to provide public access.
Councillor John Anderson, chairman of the community and enterprise resources committee, welcomed the decision to support the project.
He said: “This is a hugely ambitious plan that could see the electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the ChargePlace Scotland network potentially triple in size in South Lanarkshire alone, 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.
“Together with a raft of other measures taking place at local and national level, I hope each small step we take can make a big difference.”
Scott Mathieson, director of network planning and regulation at SP Energy Networks, is pleased that the councils are moving in this direction.
He said: “We’re delighted that both councils will be involved in this innovative pilot project which will help Scotland drive towards its ambitious net zero carbon emissions targets.
“The decarbonisation of transport is critical to these ambitions so collaboration from industry and government will be required.
“This partnership is a fantastic example of how smarter working together can help us respond to the climate change emergency efficiently and benefit both the environment and our customers in Lanarkshire.
“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.”
The £7.5 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 last August.
