The draft plan sets out 15 actions to achieve the growth necessary in the public charging infrastructure in Scotland and deliver Scotland’s Vision for public EV charging.
The Scottish government says delivering approximately 24,000 additional public EV charge points by 2030 will require leadership and collective action from a range of organisations that share responsibility for delivering public EV charging, including businesses investing in EV charging, energy network operators and Government. In doing so, we will ensure greater range confidence, supporting the Scottish Government commitment to phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.
Extensive engagement was undertaken to help develop the draft plan. Transport Scotland is now formally consulting before the final Vision Implementation Plan is published later in 2025.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: “Transport remains the largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions and EVs enable drivers to take climate action and cutting harmful emissions. We need to ensure that people from all parts of Scotland can benefit from this switch to EVs, so that no one and no part of the country is left behind.”
“In October 2024, Scotland met its target for 6,000 public EV charge points two years ahead of the 2026 deadline. That target was achieved through a combination of public funding and increasing private sector investment. We now need to go faster and further to achieve our ambitions. Public money cannot and should not support this infrastructure alone.
“We have already seen significant growth in the level of private sector investment in the public charging infrastructure essential to support the transition to EVs.
Vicky Read, CEO of EV charging trade association ChargeUK, added: “The Transport for Scotland implementation plan acknowledges that for the rollout to go further and faster, we need the support of DNOs and local authorities and we are looking forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver this.
“Investment in charge points is driven by the private sector, with ChargeUK members committing to invest £6 billion by 2030.
“To encourage and support more investment into public charge points, coordination between CPOs, DNOs and all forms of government is vital .”
Since 2011, the Scottish Government says it has invested over £65m in public EV charging. Charge point data provider ZapMap has confirmed Scotland had 6,007 public charge points as of 31 October, delivered through a combination of public and increasing private sector investment.
Official UK Department of Transport figures show that, on a per head of population basis, Scotland has more public EV charge points than any other part of the UK, except London and more rapid public EV charge points than any other part of the UK.
