Progress for Scotland’s electric towns and cities
Ten local authorities across Scotland will receive in-depth support, funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by the Energy Saving Trust, as part of the plans for Scotland’s electric towns and cities.
The Programme for Government 2018/2019 outlined an ambition to extend the scope of the Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund and deliver 20 electric towns before 2025. These locations will facilitate a radical transformation in the uptake of plug-in electric vehicles in Scotland’s towns and cities.
Round one of the Challenge Fund was launched in June 2018 and bids are currently being assessed. Additionally, the Switched on Towns and Cities programme is providing support for the ten feasibility studies in 2018/19 to develop a future pipeline of potential infrastructure developments across the country.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said:
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said:
“This is an important step forward in our commitments within the Programme for Government to introduce 20 electric towns before 2025 and to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.
“Working in partnership with local authorities, we will provide support to further develop our already comprehensive charging network. By increasing the availability of charging infrastructure and further incentivising the use of electric vehicles, we hope to see continued growth in the number of users discovering the benefits of electric vehicles.”
Matthew Eastwood, Head of Transport at the Energy Saving Trust said: “We are delighted to be working with Scotland’s local authorities to support the electrification and decarbonisation of road transport. We have been impressed by the strong positive response we have received to date and look forward to supporting their ambitious and innovative plans through the feasibility studies we will deliver.”
Further guidance on the Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund is available here.
A summary of the feasibility studies can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.