Scotland set to radically expand its electric vehicle charging infrastructure

Transport officials in Holyrood have unveiled plans to give Scottish councils around £60 million over the next four years – with a new scheme funded jointly by the government and the private sector. When implemented, this will effectively double the size of the country’s current EV charging infrastructure.

Scotland’s charge point infrastructure needs to see rapid development and sustainable growth to ensure no part of the country is left behind when the UK’s ‘Electric Switchover’ takes place in 2030 – bringing with it an outright ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Factors stopping Scottish drivers from switching over

The lack of infrastructure has so far not been a major issue in Scotland, as only around 30,000 motorists have made the switch to hybrid or electric vehicles. Indeed, a recent survey by the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) looking into EV buying habits found that 83% of Scottish motorists said the high cost of EVs was the major factor stopping them from ‘going electric’ – and 50% suggested that the purchasing price of EVs needed to be reduced.

The survey also showed that whilst drivers across Scotland were committed to switching from fossil fuel vehicles in order to protect the environment, most were put off making the change for purely practical reasons. Most Scottish drivers said they were waiting for the EV charging infrastructure to be improved and for car manufacturers to reduce the prices of their electric vehicles before they could properly contemplate switching over.

The electric vehicle grant

With the government-imposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel ICE vehicles approaching fast – processes will need to be swiftly implemented to make the switchover to EVs possible for the majority of drivers. Incentives will also need to be devised to further encourage the change. 

The ‘electric vehicle (EV) grant’ – a subsidy on new zero-emissions vehicles – was introduced by the British government in 2011 and was intended to bring prices of EVs down to match the cost of buying a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle.

The grant originally provided up to 35% off the list price of a new plug-in hybrid or pure electric vehicle – up to a maximum of £5000. However, this figure has seen an incremental, year-on-year reduction since then – and in December 2021, it was set to a maximum of just £1500.

Beating the switchover rush

Though the British government has done little so far to address pricing issues around EVs, with the switchover date looming, Scotland – and, indeed, the rest of the UK – is liable to see a huge push in the number of motorists trading up to EVs in the next few years. For those thinking of upgrading their existing ICE vehicle ahead of the switchover, beating the rush is likely to be essential if they are hoping to get a good price.

Motorway offers sellers an easy – and completely free – way of getting the best price when selling their car, whether they are ICE or electric. Sellers enter their car’s reg into Motorway’s website and are provided with an instant estimated sale price based on the company’s own sales data. Sellers are then guided through completing a profile for their vehicle.

If the seller decides to enter their car into one of Motorway’s daily sales, the vehicle’s profile is shown to a nationwide network of more than 4,000 verified dealers looking to add to their stock of used cars. Interested dealers will then compete to buy their car – offering their best prices in a blind bidding system. Sellers then receive the best offer for their car. If they choose to go ahead with the sale, their car is then collected for free by the dealer – and the money is quickly and securely transferred to their bank account.

This article was brought to you in association with Motorway