The Scottish government has published its Vision on how to expand the public EV charging network with the help of private sector investment to meet fast-rising EV take-up.

Transport Scotland says it will transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector

The new Vision sets out what an ideal public charging offer for cars and vans in Scotland should look like, as a new study indicates that EV demand is rising higher than forecasts.

A key part of the Vision is that the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) network will transition towards a public charging network in partnership with private charge point operators.

Launched back in 2010, CPS is the fifth biggest network in the UK, according to Zap-Map, and amalgamates more than 2,500 publicly available chargers across Scotland, which are owned individually by hosts but bundled together to create a network, currently operated by Swarco under an outsourced contract.

While Transport Scotland refuted reports last month that the network could be broken up, it did say that a move to open some of the network to private investment was necessary to accelerate the pace and scale of investment.

The new Vision reiterates this, saying that private investment will support network growth across Scotland, “leveraging the skills, expertise and resources of a growing number of charge point network providers”.

Minister for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: “We can be proud of the early investment that the Scottish Government has made in the ChargePlace Scotland network. We have now provided over £65m to support development of a comprehensive charging network covering all of Scotland. That network will continue to be vital over the next few years as we transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. Our Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, that aims to leverage £60m of public and private investment, is designed to do just that.”

She added: “As the network grows, there are also clear opportunities for the private sector to support the operation of existing ChargePlace Scotland charge points under new arrangements, and ensuring this move is seamless and aligned with the Vision is critical.”

ChargeUK, the recently launched trade body for the charging industry, said it welcomed the publication.

“Our member organisations are already publicly committed to investing billions of pounds to deliver and operate thousands more charge points by 2030 creating jobs, supporting economic growth and enabling the widespread switch to electric vehicles.

“As an industry we look forward to working with the Scottish Government to ensure they can deliver the Vision and together we can provide a network that provides the right charging infrastructure in the right place for Scotland’s drivers.”

Neil Swanson, director of Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, also greeted the news, in particular “the recognition that public intervention will be needed where private investment on its own will be unviable, ensuring that no area should be left behind”.

He continued: “The public charge point network in Scotland has been at the forefront of EV uptake across our nation, and the Vision should help ensure that that growth is built upon.  Ensuring that the expanding network works for all in society is key in this, something that the association has advocated at local, national and international levels, so we warmly welcome this being placed at the forefront of the Vision.”

The Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network is available to download here.

Over the coming year, the Vision will be consulted on by Transport Scotland, which will then publish an implementation plan.