- HITRANS (Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership), the regional transportation agency which covers much of the North of Scotland, is set to accelerate the expansion of public charging across the region as it works towards the UK-wide 2030 EV targets.
- For over a decade, the Scottish Government has invested over £65 million in public charging infrastructure through the publicly-funded Charge Place Scotland.
- Now, with that contract coming to an end, charge points will need to move to new operators – with HITRANS now procuring a Charge Point Network Operator (CPNO) that will help enable more private charge point investment, growing the level of infrastructure available to EV drivers.
Opportunity for more chargers in Northern Scotland as new CPNO procured
Scottish Power were the successful bidder for the new contract, helping both HITRANS and local councils to continue to benefit from growing levels of charging infrastructure – particularly in underserved rural communities, where higher average journey distances make the need for public chargers even more crucial.
Across the area that HITRANS oversees, there are currently 123 council-owned public chargers, spread across four councils. Over the coming months, half of these chargers will be migrated to the new CPNO, whilst the remaining chargers will be recomissioned with more modern units going into 2026.
This collaboration will also help increase visibility and accessibility of chargers, with the units set to be made visible through roaming partners such as Octopus Electroverse.
The news comes just a few months after the Scottish Government announced a £4.5 million ‘Rural and Island Infrastructure Fund’, helping to deliver charging infrastructure to underserved rural areas right across the country.
Councillor Uisdean Robertson, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Chair of Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, commented:
“I’m delighted to see this regional collaboration result in a new Charge Point Network Operator that considers both the short-term needs of residents, businesses and visitors across the region as well as the future expansion plans of the network. This is a step towards securing private investment in our rural and island charging, crucial to developing a more reliable and resilient regional network and encouraging EV uptake and its role in transport decarbonisation.”
Chris Carberry, Strategic Development Director at ScottishPower, added:
“We are delighted to be working with HITRANS to help facilitate a sustainable transition to electric vehicles across the region. We know that rural areas often face more challenges when it comes to accessing charging infrastructure, and we are committed to working with HITRANS to improve this and support wider public access to rapid charging for their vehicles as we all move towards a Net Zero future.”
