Proposed actions

The Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network set out the attributes of an ideal public charging network for cars and vans in Scotland and what it should look like, grouped into five key themes: 

  • Theme 1: Comprehensive and convenient – Local communities, businesses and visitors have access to a well-designed, comprehensive and convenient network of public charge points, where these are needed. 
  • Theme 2: Meeting the needs of users –The public electric vehicle charging network works for everyone regardless of age, health, income or other needs.  
  • Theme 3: Grown with private investment – Scotland has attracted private sector investment to grow and sustain the public electric vehicle charging network.
  • Theme 4: Clean, green energy - The public charging network is powered by clean, renewable energy and drivers benefit from advancements in energy storage, smart tariffs and network design.
  • Theme 5: Wider sustainable transport system - People’s first choice wherever possible is active travel, shared or public transport with the location of electric vehicle charge points supporting those choices.

This section of the Implementation Plan maps out draft actions required to achieve each Theme of the Vision and notes them as important in either the short-term (by the end of 2026) or medium term (by the end of 2028).

The draft Implementation Plan assumes a key role for the private sector, while noting all stakeholders should have a key focus on ensuring the right charge points are delivered in the right locations to ensure a sustainable, effective and accessible public charging network that serves all of Scotland.

The Scottish Government will monitor the delivery of the finalised actions on an ongoing basis and will review progress in 2028.

Theme 1 - Comprehensive and convenient network

Short-term actions

  1. Develop guidance on cross pavement charging: Local authorities will develop guidance via the SCOTS network to address issues arising from the increasing demand for cross-pavement charging solutions to ensure where possible, a consistent approach that enables the provision of cross pavement charging and supports a public charging network that works for everyone. Responsible: Local authorities.

Background: Approximately 40% of Scottish homes have no access to off-street parking and EV users are experiencing challenges with respect to the installation and operation of cross pavement solutions.

  1. Build local capacity: Local authorities play an essential role in delivering critical public EV charging infrastructure across Scotland and must ensure adequate resource is in place to implement local EV infrastructure Strategy & Expansion Plans, as well as handling planning and road works issues arising in relation to EV charging. Contracts with charge point operators through the EV Infrastructure Fund present an opportunity to generate income that could enable local authorities to build much needed capacity to discharge future obligations in relation to public EV charging.

Responsible: Local authorities.

Background: Local authorities have statutory duties regarding planning and road works and play a critical role in enabling public EV charging.

Medium-term actions

  1. Use open-source data to review local public EV charging provision: Local authorities should maximise the value of the introduction of open-source data on public EV charging to review and update public EV charging Strategy and Expansion Plans to continue to drive forward local public EV charging provision. Responsible: Local authorities.

Background: Open-source data available because of the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 will allow local authorities, to enhance their understanding of the need for local public EV charging provision. 

Theme 2 – Meeting the needs of users

Short-term actions

  1. Provide accessible charging infrastructure: Wherever possible, charge point owners and operators should seek to ensure that a reasonable proportion of charge points in existing public off-street sites, and all charge points at new off-street public sites, comply with the PAS 1899 (Electric Vehicles Accessible Charging Specification) issued by the British Standards Institution.

Responsible: Public charge point owners and operators.

Background: Public EV charging must meet the needs of all users whilst ensuring the commercial viability of sites and the continued expansion of provision at pace and at scale.

  1. Agree quality standards that go beyond UK regulations: The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 play an important role in driving quality standards, but public charge point owners and operators should look to develop quality standards that go beyond these regulations to support great user experiences. This could be through key performance indicators developed through concession contracts developed as a result of the EV Infrastructure Fund, or through a quality charter developed by charge point owners and operators.

Responsible: Public charge point owners and operators, and local authorities.

Background: Improving user experience of public EV charging will support consumer confidence in public EV charging as we move towards the mass adoption of EVs.

  1. Ensure an affordable network: Tariffs should be fair, sustainable and enabling. Local authorities should guard against monopolistic supply situations from emerging in areas where there is limited competition by ensuring that any public procurement, including that which is supported through the EV Infrastructure Fund, includes appropriate mechanisms to review and agree tariffs that are fair, sustainable and enabling. Consideration should also be given to supporting flexible and off-peak tariffs where practical.

Responsible: UK Government, CMA and local authorities.

Background: The UK Government have made regulations governing public EV charging (Public Charge Point Regulations 2023). The Competition and Markets Authority ensures fair competition. Market forces also have an impact on costs, particularly where there is limited competition.

  1. Convene key stakeholders to identify measures to continue to improve the consumer experience: Bring together key stakeholders with an interest in the consumer experience of EVs and public EV charging to identify and address key barriers to high quality consumer experiences and improve understanding and awareness.

Responsible: Scottish Government and Consumer Scotland.

Background:  Improving user experience of public EV charging will support consumer confidence as we move towards the mass adoption of EVs.

Theme 3 - Increase private investment

Short-term actions

  1. Continue to enable private investment in public EV charging: The public sector will continue to engage with charge point operators and their funders to ensure that key barriers slowing or preventing investment are understood and appropriate interventions actioned to deliver the route map. Views of all stakeholders are sought through this consultation on the interaction between EV charging and the planning system.

Responsible: Local authorities, public sector agencies and the Scottish Government.

Background: The scale of the investment required to meet growing demand for public EV charging cannot be met by public funding alone. Options for addressing current barriers to private investment should therefore be fully explored.

  1. Collaborate to remove barriers to grid connection: Charge point operators and electricity distribution network operators should continue to collaborate on shared actions to ensure grid connection applications can be processed as quickly as possible. The Scottish Government will continue to facilitate engagement through relevant forums such as the Strategic Transport Electrification Group.

Responsible: Distribution Network Operators, the National Energy System Operator, charge point operators, and the Scottish Government.

Background: There is a need to align grid connection processes with the needs of public EV charging in order to deliver critical infrastructure at the pace and scale required to meet forecast demand.

  1. Continue transition to a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector: With support provided through the EV Infrastructure Fund and leveraging existing public EV charging infrastructure previously funded by the public sector, local authorities will continue to deliver projects establishing concession contracts with private sector delivery partners, growing the public EV charging network across Scotland.

Responsible: Local authorities.

Background: To deliver a public EV charging network that meets the needs of current and future users, it is essential to continue the transition away from a publicly funded delivery model to one that leverages public funding and existing infrastructure to attract private sector investment and continue to expand the public EV charging at pace and at scale to meet current and future needs.

Theme 4 - Energy

Short-term actions

  1. Support activities to reduce connection costs impacting commercial investment: Views of all stakeholders are sought through this consultation on creating a stronger business case for private sector investment in sites that are currently seen as more marginal, lower traffic locations by identifying ways to reduce network connection costs.

Responsible: Charge Point Operators, Distribution Network Operators and Ofgem.

Background: High costs significantly impact on the commercial viability of sites and limit the business case for commercial investment in public EV charging in locations such as rural and island communities.

Medium-term actions

  1. Facilitate collaboration to address challenges in delivering public EV charging: Bring together key stakeholders – including energy providers, network operators, local authorities, public charge point operators and trade bodies – to address challenges and develop better market forecasts to better support the more rapid deployment public EV charging.

Responsible: Scottish Government

Background: Convening stakeholders to identify shared approaches to addressing common challenges will play an important role in breaking down the barriers to delivering the public EV charging required to meet Scotland’s future needs.

  1. Mapping of multi-modal, multi-energy locations: Harness open-source data to explore opportunities in locations where there is a need to combine modes of travel on one site and/or the need to combine an energy baseload and local energy generation to make the economic case for investing at specific sites which may be constrained.

Responsible: distribution network operators and charge point operators.

Background: Better data can assist private sector investment in new sites that support better integration with other transport modes, such as public transport interchanges, to enable onward journeys by public transport, as well as sites that may be grid constrained, but which offer opportunities for local energy generation and storage.

Theme 5 - Wider sustainable transport system

Short-term actions

  1. Policy certainty: Maintain a consistent policy approach to transport decarbonisation, providing confidence to investors with regard to the direction of travel and enabling sustained private sector investment to ensure the right charge points in the right locations to enable the transition to EVs with identified timescales.

Responsible: UK Government and Scottish Government.

Background: Policy certainty regarding the decarbonisation and electrification of transport plays a critical role in giving the private sector the confidence to make significant long-term investments in public EV charging infrastructure.

  1. Use open-source data to monitor the rollout of public EV charging across Scotland: Use open-source data on public EV charging to develop a data set that will aid in identifying potential gaps in the provision of public EV charging as the transition to EVs continues, using this data to support stakeholders to address issues as they emerge. Review progress against existing Government targets and consider revised targets as the market for public EV charging continue to develop.

Responsible: Scottish Government.

Background: Ongoing monitoring is essential to support the delivery of Scotland’s Vision for public EV charging, and this Implementation Plan.