Scottish Government's Electric Car-Charging Goal Could Be Delayed by 12 Years

author: FutureCar Staff    

The Scottish Government's goal of installing 30,000 electric car-charging stations could be delayed by 12 years, according to analysis by the Tories. They have urged Scottish ministers to follow the Prime Minister's lead on net-zero targets after Rishi Sunak postponed the ban on new petrol and diesel cars until 2035. First Minister Humza Yousaf criticized the five-year delay, stating that it would jeopardize Scotland's target for net zero by 2045.

The statistics reveal that the SNP/Green Government is far from meeting the demand for electric charging points in Scotland. ChargePlace Scotland, the charging network owned by the Scottish Government, reported that 169 chargers were added between October 2022 and August 2023. However, the Scottish Government's figures from earlier this year indicated that there were nearly 4,000 charging stations across Scotland as of June 2023. Despite this, ministers have acknowledged that 30,000 charging points will be necessary to meet the expected increase in demand for electric vehicles.

Analysis from the Scottish Tories suggests that the Scottish Government is significantly behind the target, with only around 1,900 charging points installed between January 2022 and 2023. The Tories estimate that it could take until 2042, 12 years after the deadline, for ministers to reach the goal of 30,000 charging points. Douglas Lumsden, the party's energy and transport spokesman, criticized the slow progress and highlighted the SNP/Green Government's poor track record on environmental targets.

Lumsden emphasized the need for urgent action, stating that over 4,000 charging points need to be installed annually to meet the target by 2030. At the current pace, the SNP/Green Government will miss this goal by at least 12 years. He also called on ministers to adopt a common-sense approach, similar to the Prime Minister's, in order to achieve climate targets and gain public support. Lumsden noted that while many Scots are switching to electric vehicles, the infrastructure in rural areas is lacking.

In response, a Transport Scotland spokesperson stated that the Scottish Government is assessing the implications of the UK Government's decision to delay the ban on petrol and diesel cars. They highlighted the Scottish Government's investment in the ChargePlace Scotland network, which has the highest number of rapid or ultra-rapid charge points per capita outside of London. The spokesperson also mentioned the funding of over 2,600 charge points on the public network, as well as the installation of over 20,000 home and workplace charge points. They emphasized the need for increased investment in the public network and the involvement of the private sector to meet climate change targets.

The spokesperson further explained that the EV Infrastructure Fund aims to leverage £60 million of public and private investment to increase the network to 6,000 charge points by 2026. They stated that the ChargePlace Scotland network will be an integral part of the transition towards a public charging network primarily financed and delivered by the private sector.

FutureCar Staff