HITRANS, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, has appointed ScottishPower to power up its EV network as the publicly funded ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) contract comes to an end.

ScottishPower will manage the wider EV network across Argyll and Bute, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland. It follows the installation of 23 new rapid charging stations on behalf of HITRANS last year.

ScottishPower will assume the roles of mapping, payment provider, charge point management system and driver helpline at over 120 EV charging points as the CPS deal ends.

Approximately 60 chargers will migrate to ScottishPower’s network this winter, with a further 60 to be replaced and migrated in early 2026. Councils also have the option to transition their fleet chargers under the same contract.

The agreement will also bring an enhanced level of service to help HITRANS and local councils build a more reliable and customer-focused network, particularly in the more rural and island areas.

Additional benefits include flexible tariff structures, real-time monitoring, automated fault resolution, and charger sharing capabilities.

Chris Carberry, ScottishPower’s strategic development director, said: “We are delighted to be working with HITRANS to help facilitate a sustainable transition to electric vehicles across the region.

“We know that rural areas often face more challenges when it comes to accessing charging infrastructure, and we are committed to working with HITRANS to improve this and support wider public access to rapid charging for their vehicles as we all move towards a net zero future.”

Gemma Robinson, EV infrastructure project manager for HITRANS, said: “Scottish Power submitted a very high-quality bid for this contract and we are looking forward to working with their Smart Mobility team again on new objectives, having already successfully delivered a project together.”

The deal supports Transport Scotland’s plans to move the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) network away from the publicly funded operator model and shift to new networks by early 2026.

In the HITRANS deal, local councils will retain control over tariff setting and revenue collection, while benefiting from ScottishPower’s expertise in energy generation, distribution and innovation.

Future developments under consideration by HITRANS in discussion with ScottishPower include integrating locally generated renewable energy and deploying battery storage technologies to enhance network resilience.