- The Scottish Government has announced a £4.5 million funding package called the ‘Rural and Island Infrastructure Fund’, to help deliver more public EV charging infrastructure to areas of Scotland currently underserved, primarily its surrounding islands and heavily rural areas.
- The new funding will help the Scottish Government work towards its target of enabling another 24,000 new public charge points by 2030.
- Local businesses, landowners, and CPOs will all be eligible to apply for this new funding.
Scotland looks to bring more public charging to underserved areas
The funding available will depend on the type of charging infrastructure being installed – with grants of up to £15,000 per low power 3.7-22kW charger, up to £60,000 per high power 125-350kW charger, and up to £300,000 for projects which combine charge points with battery energy storage or energy generation.
As seen in statistics published by the UK Department for Transport, Scotland already has one of the highest numbers of public chargers per head out of most UK regions, but many of Scotland’s outerlying islands and ultra-rural areas are still relatively lacking in quality charging infrastructure, holding back some from making the switch to EV. This new funding will help address this.
This move will add to the already impressive number of EV charging locations we’ve seen spring up in Scotland over the past year. New CPO Source chose Edinburgh as the location for its inaugural public charging hub, whilst CPOs such as Fastned and E.ON have also been adding ultra-rapid charging to the country’s infrastructure.
Transport Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, commented:
“We’ve made incredible progress in growing the public charging network in Scotland, meeting our target of 6,000 public charge points in October 2024, two years ahead of schedule.
One area of focus as we continue to grow the network is attracting more private sector investment, however we do know that there are some rural and island areas where the commercial sector is less likely to invest. That is where the Scottish Government steps in, to support fair access to charging for everyone in Scotland.
We’re making over £4.5 million available to support areas with limited private charging infrastructure, helping people in all parts of Scotland make the switch to EVs. Through our investment, electric vehicle drivers will be able to enjoy greater range confidence than ever before.
This fund aligns with our Just Transition principles and will help to ensure that no one is left behind in the EV transition.”
Jenny Milne, from the Scottish Rural and Islands Transport Community, added:
“We welcome the launch of the Rural and Island Infrastructure Fund. We hope that this is one of many steps to come that help eligible small rural and island businesses to support residents and visitors seeking new, convenient public charging locations.
In the months ahead, we look forward to promoting the fund and sharing news with our members of its positive impact on underserved communities.”
