14.02.20
Council’s £5m plan for EV charging network
North Lanarkshire Council’s Environment and Transportation Committee has given its backing to a potential £5m project of investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging and electricity network infrastructure across the region.
The proposed charging hubs, located in car parks owned and operated by North and South Lanarkshire’s Council’s, will be for public use in a bid to meet plans to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032.
Preparatory work with Transport Scotland and SP Energy Networks is underway, as part of Project PACE, aiming to find the best EV charge point locations and the optimum electricity network infrastructure required to support them.
Potential locations under consideration are in areas of the most demand, with consideration taken for existing infrastructure, available land, capacity and public access.
Councillor Michael McPake, Convener of the Environment and Transportation Committee said:
"This is an innovative, ambitious plan for Lanarkshire that will see a real increase in the electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the ChargePlace Scotland network in North Lanarkshire, by the end of this year.
"The Scottish Government targets aim to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032, and these plans are designed to pave the way for that to become a reality. The new network will contribute to reducing air pollution and providing access to clean energy for our residents, and the project fits with this council's ambition to be the place to live, learn, work, invest and visit."
It comes following the announcement in Aug 2019 of the £7.5m Strategic Partnership between the Scottish Government, SP Energy Networks and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.