SCOTLAND’S two national parks are the most welcoming in the UK for electric vehicle drivers, according to a study.
The findings show the Cairngorms has 54 public charging points spread across 13 locations, which means there is an average of one for each EV visitor. However, the park also has the longest distance – some 47 miles – between public charging stations.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, where park bosses were early adopters of electric technology, is almost as impressive, with 40 chargers, again spread over 13 locations, catering for about three visitors each.
Third spot in the league table of the UK’s 15 national parks went to the Brecon Beacons in mid-Wales, with usually six EVs for each of its 26 power points.
On average, a national park has 21 public charging points to accommodate 23 EVs each. But the good news for EV drivers is that, since 2015, there has been a 440 per cent rise in the parks’ chargers UK-wide.
Bristol Street Motors – part of the same dealership group as Scotland’s Macklin Motors – was prompted to carry out the research by the big increase in both staycations and EV sales during 2020.
A spokesman for the car retailers said: “A large factor is that the Cairngorms receives fewer visitors per year than many other national parks. However, it’s still an extremely impressive achievement and the area is an EV adventurer’s dream.”
