Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund

Investment in Scotland’s Public EV Charging Network

Since 2011, the Scottish Government has invested over £65 million in Scotland’s public charging network. The Scottish Government funded ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) was established over a decade ago and has acted as an important early catalyst for the development of public EV charging infrastructure in Scotland. This resulted in the creation of an extensive public charging network across Scotland, including across our rural and island communities

The CPS network has achieved its original objective of stimulating the early growth of public EV charging and promoting early adopters to make the switch to EV. To increase the pace and scale of the expansion of public EV charging infrastructure it is now necessary to transition away from the publicly subsidised, CPS-focussed delivery model. We now expect the private sector to increasingly take on responsibility for investing in and operating the public charging network across Scotland. 

The £30 million EV Infrastructure Fund was announced in 2022 and is part of our approach to supporting a move towards a public charging network in Scotland that is financed and operated by the private sector. 

The EV Infrastructure Fund is supporting the expansion of what is already one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK. As a result of public funding and increasing private sector investment, Scotland met its target for 6,000 public charge points in October 2024, two years ahead of the 2026 target.

A Vision for Scotland’s Public EV Charging Network

In June 2023, the Scottish Government published its Vision for Scotland’s public charging network, signalling a shift away from an investment and operating model that is led by the public sector. 

The EV Infrastructure Fund has been designed to support delivery of the Vision by supporting local authorities to develop public EV charging strategies that reflect the Vision’s ambition and themes. EV Infrastructure Fund projects will include actions that support the Vision and help to make sure the public EV charging network meets local needs now and into the future.

In December 2024 Transport Scotland published a consultation on our draft Vision Implementation Plan. The draft Vision Implementation Plan outlines the key actions that will deliver the Vision, developed in consultation with stakeholders it is a forward looking document that identifies 15 actions to be taken forward to achieve Scotland's Vision for public EV charging.

The EV Infrastructure Fund 

The £30 million Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund was launched in 2022 to enable Scottish local authorities to work with the private sector and continue to deliver strategic investment in EV charging networks across Scotland. The fund supports our Vision and is part of Scottish Government's approach to delivering a high-quality public EV charging network across all of Scotland. Importantly, projects supported by the EV Infrastructure Fund aim to draw in at least a further £30 million of private investment in EV charging in Scotland.

The first stage of the fund focused on developing strategies and planning future development and investment in public EV charging and is now complete. Most investment in new EV charging enabled through the EV Infrastructure Fund is expected to be delivered between 2025 and 2028. 

To make sure that Scotland’s EV charging network works for all parts of Scotland the EV Infrastructure Fund will target public funding at areas where commercial investment alone is not currently viable. Areas that include more rural and island communities will need more public funding to deliver the public EV charging network they need, urban areas are expected to attract a higher level of private investment to deliver their EV Infrastructure Fund projects.

Regional collaborations between local authorities have been strongly encouraged. These collaborations help to develop economies of scale and give wider benefits related to combining resources to develop EV charging strategies and expansion plans, running public procurement and delivering projects to implement those strategies. The map below shows where local authorities are currently working together to deliver their EV Infrastructure Fund projects - and shows Scotland and its local authority boundaries, displayed in the following regional collaborations:

• South & East of Scotland
• Glasgow City Region
• North of Scotland
• Independent
• Argyll and Bute and Scotland's Islands
• Perth & Kinross and Angus
• Ayrshire

Through the first planning stage of the EV Infrastructure Fund, Scottish Government has funded local authorities to develop Electric Vehicle Public Charging Strategy and Expansion Plans, as well as development of procurement strategies and approaches to deliver those strategies. This planning phase has now established public electric vehicle charging strategies covering all of Scotland 

Summaries of public EV charging strategies will be published over the coming months and will provide an insight into how each region plans to support and enable continued development of a high-quality public charging network in their area.

Local authorities have been working over the past 18 to 24 months to develop regional approaches that create the scale of ambition that is genuinely attractive to the private sector. There are now several regional partnerships at an advanced stage, with the first now working on procuring a private sector Charge Point Operator to jointly invest in developing and operating the public EV charging network in their area.

The EV Infrastructure Fund is expected to deliver at least 6,000 additional public charge points over the next few years. The exact number of charge points that will be delivered through the EV Infrastructure Fund will be following the completion of public procurement to deliver individual EV Infrastructure Fund projects.

This fund will ensure that more chargers are installed across urban, rural and island communities, continuing to build confidence in using EVs and helping to support sustainable economic growth as we transition to a net zero transport system.

EV Infrastructure Fund Projects 

As of January 2025, Transport Scotland has provided £4.48 million to support development of strategies and procurement and has awarded over £15.3 million of funding to local authorities and regional collaborations to support delivery of their public EV charging strategies. The balance of the £30 million is expected to be awarded by the end of April 2025.

The Scottish Futures Trust are working closely with Transport Scotland and local authorities to support procurement and delivery of EV Infrastructure Fund projects. The pipeline for EV Infrastructure Fund project procurement and delivery can be viewed on the Scottish Futures Trust website.

Projects that have been awarded funding to date include:

North of Scotland EV Infrastructure Fund Project

• Funding for EV Strategies and Procurement: £560,000
• EV Infrastructure Fund Grant Award: £6.86 million
• Expected project delivery: From Spring 2025
• Local Authorities: Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray & Highland councils are working together to deliver a fair, regionally focused, and accessible EV charging network that meets the needs of all users across the region. The approach proposed will place commercially viable solutions at the core of the network and ensure that those without access to off-street parking in urban and rural locations will be able to charge their EV at a nearby charging hub, on-street solution or community-based charger.

The wider regional network will support a more just transition to EVs for everyone who lives, works and visits the area and ensure all communities can access an affordable network.

Dundee On-Street EV Charging EV Infrastructure Fund Project

• Funding for EV Strategies and Procurement: £140,000
• EV Infrastructure Fund Grant Award: £300,000
• Expected project delivery: From Spring 2025
• Local Authority: Dundee City Council

Dundee City Council aims to deliver a comprehensive public EV charging network across the city that matches the city’s ambition to decarbonise transport, while ensuring that those who live, work and visit Dundee benefit from a fair and consistent tariff for EV charging.

The project will deliver new EV chargers at on-street and community-based locations that will provide EV charging opportunities for those without access to off-street parking.

Ayrshire EV Infrastructure Fund Project

• Funding for EV Strategies and Procurement: £420,000
• EV Infrastructure Fund Grant Award: £2.8 million
• Expected project delivery: From Autumn 2025
• Local Authorities: North, South and East Ayrshire Councils

Ayrshire Roads Alliance and North Ayrshire Council are working in partnership to deliver the EV infrastructure required to support future uptake of EV’s across Ayrshire. Supported by Scottish Future’s Trust and Transport Scotland, the local authorities aim to provide a just transition to EV uptake. The project will develop a people-focused network, accelerate commercial investment and integrate with the region’s sustainable transport system

Perth, Kinross and Angus EV Infrastructure Fund Project

• Funding for EV Strategies and Procurement: £280,000
• EV Infrastructure Fund Grant Award: £1.925 million
• Expected project delivery: From Autumn 2025
• Local Authorities: Perth and Kinross and Angus Councils

Perth and Kinross and Angus Councils want to deliver a fair, accessible and ambitious EV charging network that meets the needs of residents, workers and visitors throughout the region.

A programme of stakeholder engagement helped to develop an approach that will complement existing and future private sector charge points, expand the existing network on local authority sites and ensure that those without access to off-street parking in urban and rural locations will be able to charge their EV at a nearby charging hub, on street solution, or public car park-based charger. 

Glasgow City Region EV Infrastructure Fund Project

• Funding for EV Strategies and Procurement: £1.12 million
• EV Infrastructure Fund Grant Award: £3.5 million
• Expected project delivery: From Autumn 2025
• Local Authorities: East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils

The Glasow City Region local authorities are focussed on ensuring that their EV Infrastructure Fund project supports and enables a just transition and establishes a comprehensive and accessible electric vehicle charging network.

Glasgow City Region's EV Infrastructure Fund Project will provide a substantial increase in EV charging infrastructure across the region. This expanded network will be comprehensive and convenient, supporting a consistent and improved driver experience, meet the needs of users, by focusing on equitable access to the EV network, and support the wider sustainable transport system, with accessible charge points at strategic locations that ensure sustainable transport plays a central role in supporting a resilient and inclusive economy across the region.

Continued Private Sector Investment in Public EV Charging in Scotland

The EV Infrastructure Fund is only one area that will continue to support development of Scotland's public EV charging network. As well as working with local authorities to deliver EV Infrastructure Fund projects, private sector charge point operators are already investing in new sites in Scotland, particularly to install new high-powered charging along our trunk road network.

ChargeUK is a trade organisation that represents private sector Charge Point Operators who are investing in public EV charging. Collectively, members of ChargeUK have publicly committed to investing over £6 billion in the UK’s public EV charging network by 2030.