Tag: electric vehicle charging points

Network of electric vehicle chargers goes live across Edinburgh

Transport leaders have tested out one of a newly operational network of on-street electric vehicle chargers in Edinburgh, as the nation marks Scotland’s Climate Week.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Michael Matheson joined Edinburgh’s Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Scott Arthur, on the eve of World EV Day, to see one of the new charge points, funded by £2.3 million awarded through Transport Scotland’s Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund.

In total, 81 new chargers (141 charging bays) were installed and went live this summer across the city, including 41 rapid and fast chargers (72 bays) at on-street locations with the remainder provided at Hermiston and Ingliston Park and Ride sites.

The roll-out is designed to encourage and support the take-up of cleaner, low emission transport like electric vehicles. Motor transport contributes significantly to carbon emissions, and the switch to more sustainable transport is essential to the city’s Net Zero target, which is also a key aim of Scotland’s Climate Week.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “During Scotland’s Climate Week and ahead of World EV Day, I’m pleased to welcome these new EV charge points across Edinburgh to the ChargePlace Scotland network.

“Phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, to help respond to the climate emergency, can only be achieved if drivers have the range confidence that comes from readily available charging infrastructure. These latest charge points help provide that confidence to people who require EV charging in the capital.

“Our previous funding approaches have helped us deliver the most public electric vehicle charging points outside of London, and the most rapid charge points anywhere in the UK. We now want to see greater private sector investment and involvement in line with our draft vision for Scotland’s public EV charging network – delivering more infrastructure faster and in way that is more accessible than ever before.”

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “I am delighted that we are expanding on-street electric vehicle chargers across the Capital in a way that does not leave footpaths cluttered with cables and chargers. These new chargers will provide convenient charging for residents and visitors alike travelling around the city.

“Increasing the provision for greener technologies such as electric cars is a vital step in our wider plan for decarbonising transport in Edinburgh and for reaching our goal to become a net-zero carbon city by 2030, which is brought into sharp focus during Scotland’s Climate Week.

“Of course, choosing to walk, cycle or use public transport is the best travel decision people can make if they want to help us in our net-zero ambition.”

Charges and maximum stay periods depend on the type of charger (standard, fast or rapid) with full details available on the Council website.

Further information on the types and locations of charging points in Edinburgh can be found on ChargePlace Scotland’s website.

Find out more about electric vehicle charging on the Council website.

Council to introduce new tariffs for electric vehicle charging points

Costs for using electric vehicle chargers owned and provided by the City of Edinburgh Council will be introduced on Sunday, 1 May.

Charges, which will be displayed at existing charging points, were agreed as part of the budget-setting process earlier this year.

Any revenue generated will be used to fund the ongoing costs associated with our electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In March we began work to introduce 81 chargers (141 bays) in residential streets and park and ride sites around the city, which will be available for use by summer.

The roll-out is being funded by £2.3 million awarded through Transport Scotland’s Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund.

Charges and maximum stay periods depend on the type of charger (standard, fast or rapid) with full details available on the Council website.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re in the process of introducing even more electric vehicle charging points across the city, which will provide additional fast, convenient charging for people living in and travelling to and from the city.

“Increasing this kind of infrastructure is essential for supporting people to make the shift to more sustainable forms of transport, like electric cars, which is vital if we are to become net zero by 2030. Any income generated from charges introduced next month will help us to maintain and continue developing our charging network.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “It’s really encouraging that so many people are choosing to switch to electric vehicles, and we want to help even more people to make this choice.

“We set costs for using our chargers as part of the budget this year, and tariffs will be clearly displayed on charging points and on our website.”

Full details of types and locations of charging points in Edinburgh can be found on ChargePlace Scotland’s website. 

Find out more about electric vehicle charging on the Council website.

Roll-out of on-street electric vehicle charging begins

New electric vehicle chargers are up and running at Ingliston Park and Ride and work is underway to install chargers around the city as part of plans to introduce 81 on-street chargers (141 bays).

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes was joined by representatives of the Electric Vehicle Association and Scottish Electric Vehicle Drivers at Ingliston yesterday to try out one of 21 chargers – six rapid (six charging bays) and 15 slow (30 charging bays).

Another five rapid chargers (five bays) and 14 slow chargers (28 bays) will soon be operational at Hermiston Park and Ride.

Preliminary work is also underway to install an additional 41 rapid and fast chargers – amounting to 72 charging bays – at on-street locations in residential areas around the Capital. These will be complete and available for use by early summer.

The roll-out, designed to encourage and support the take-up of cleaner, low emission transport like electric vehicles, is being funded by £2.2 million awarded through Transport Scotland’s Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “These new chargers will provide convenient charging for people travelling in and out of the Capital, and very soon we’ll be delivering fast, accessible charge points in residential streets around the city too.

“The transition to clean, low emission transport like electric vehicles is critical if we are to meet our ambitious net zero 2030 target, alongside choosing walking, wheeling, cycling or taking public transport to get around. It’s our role to support and encourage this so it’s fantastic that we’re now rolling out electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Edinburgh.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said:  “Today we marked the start of an ambitious, strategic programme to install charging points across the city which will soon benefit thousands of people.

“Electric vehicles both help to lower our carbon footprint and limit air pollution, so it’s really encouraging that more and more people are making the switch to electric cars.”

Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said: “I’m pleased to see Scottish Government investment of £2.2 million deliver new electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Edinburgh. 

“Our Switched on Towns and Cities funding is transforming Edinburgh’s provision of charge points, not only at key park and ride sites, but also through 72 new on-street charging bays at various locations across the city.

“This will improve air quality and protect our climate – directly supporting our commitment to phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.”

While the use of existing chargers is currently free, charging tariffs, as agreed by Council as part of the budget-setting process, are to be introduced in May. Any revenue generated will be used to fund the ongoing costs associated with our electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The city council is currently looking at future locations for electric vehicle chargers using data from two Energy Savings Trust studies and have developed a scoring framework. As part of this several potential new locations for chargers have been identified for investigation, subject to funding.

Find out more about new electric vehicle charging points on the Council website.

Electric Vehicle Association Scotland Director Neil Swanson added: “What we are experiencing today is a seismic change towards low emission transportation.

“As Scotland forges ahead with ever increasing numbers of electric vehicle sales month-on-month, it is important that the country’s public charging infrastructure simultaneously meets the rising demand for a range of suitably located charge points.

“As the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland have already indicated in their recently announced commitment to meeting these challenges, there is an urgent need to keep pace with the rapid uptake by those who see the financial as well as the environmental benefits of going all-electric.

“EVA Scotland welcomes this essential, indeed fundamental objective and is committed to working with all those who can make this happen. We cannot go forward in our climate change obligations without having our vital charging infrastructure in place.

“What we see here in Edinburgh today represents significant investment, realising a major step forward by Edinburgh to ensure there are adequate numbers of charging facilities in place across the Capital to meet the increasing demand by all those making the switch to electric powered vehicles.

“We hope to see this truly ambitious effort replicated across the whole of Scotland…it is essential.”

Dr Euan McTurk, Plug Life Television, said: “The long-awaited expansion of the electric vehicle charging facilities at Ingliston Park and Ride is exactly the level of ambition that Councils across Scotland should be trying to emulate.

“Ingliston’s original rapid charger was one of the busiest in Scotland, and the six new ones next to it – doubled from the originally planned three new chargers – will no doubt be kept equally busy by a steady stream of electric taxis, delivery vans and drivers from the M8, M9 and M90.

“The addition of 30 new destination charge sockets next to the original four, mean that commuters and visitors to Edinburgh who don’t have a home charge point will no longer face a lottery of whether they’ll be able to charge their car whilst they’re in town.

“It’s equally promising to hear that similar charging hubs are being built across numerous sites in Edinburgh for residents, businesses and commuters, and that this is just the first of three much-needed phases of charging infrastructure expansion for Scotland’s capital.”

On-street electric vehicle charging roll-out begins in Edinburgh

Work has begun to install the first of 132 on-street electric vehicle charging points in the initial phase of a project to implement charging bays across Edinburgh.

Six new rapid charging bays and 30 new slow charging bays are being built at Ingliston Park and Ride, with 20 new charging bays to follow at Hermiston Park and Ride in December.

The installation of 66 charging points hosting, in total, 132 fast, rapid and slow chargers in residential streets around the city will continue throughout winter. Work is expected to be complete and all chargers up and running by spring 2022.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re all more aware than ever of the urgent need to address the way we travel, and how this impacts on the world around us, so it’s really encouraging that more and more people are making the switch to electric cars. We want to support that.

“I’m delighted that the installation of charging points across the city is now underway, marking the start of our ambitious, strategic programme. Soon, thousands of people across the city will be able to benefit from charging infrastructure right outside their homes on a daily basis.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “Not only do electric vehicles help to lower our carbon footprint, but they limit air pollution, which is so important to our quality of life.

“This increase in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, along with the many changes we’re making to help people travel by foot, bike, wheel or public transport, is essential if we are to become a safe, healthy, net zero city by 2030.”

During the current works at Ingliston the bus lane through the park and ride has been closed for one week from Monday (11 October), with a diversion for buses in place.

In addition, the existing charging points will be unavailable until Friday, 22 October.

Alternative charging points can be found by visiting the ChargePlace Scotland webpage, with the nearest points at Hermiston Gait Park and Ride and Scottish Midland Co-operative Society in Newbridge.

The city council is currently looking at future locations for electric vehicle chargers using data from two Energy Savings Trust studies and have developed a scoring framework.

They are also exploring the utilisation of street lighting columns as charging points, avoiding issues of cabling trailing across footways while complementing the existing street scene in Edinburgh, especially in conservation and heritage areas.

Read more in the latest Business Bulletin to Transport and Environment Committee. 

The UK Government is currently accepting applications for the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme which provides funding for 75% of the cost of installing electric vehicle chargers with the remaining 25% of the cost being provided by Energy Savings Trust Scotland.

Once future locations have been assessed a further report will be submitted to Transport and Environment Committee seeking permission to apply for the funding by February/March 2022. This will be used to roll out the next phase of electric vehicle chargers across Edinburgh.

Find out more about new electric vehicle charging points on the Council website.