Investment will determine optimum EV charge point locations across the area and SP Energy Networks will work out the electricity network infrastructure required to support them.
We are delighted to be working with Transport Scotland on a revolutionary project to develop the electric vehicle (EV) and electricity network infrastructure across Lanarkshire.
North and South Lanarkshire Council's Environment and Transportation Committees have backed the project which will see charging points created in car parks operated by both North and South Lanarkshire Councils, in a bid to help meet Scottish Government plans to phase out new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032.
Preparations for the trial, know as Project PACE, are already underway and aim to determine optimum EV charge point locations and the electricity network infrastructure required to support them. It aims to increase the number of EV chargers across Lanarkshire by 500% which will mean the number across Scotland will rise by 25% in one year.
Locations under consideration will fill in the gaps where commercial charging points won’t be placed and align areas of potential demand. New sites will take into account existing electricity infrastructure location and capacity, available land and the need to provide public access.
Scott Mathieson, Director of Network Planning and Regulation at SP Energy Networks, said: "Having North and South Lanarkshire involved in this innovative pilot project is brilliant and it’ll help Scotland drive towards its ambitious net zero carbon emissions targets.
"The decarbonisation of transport is critical to achieving these ambitions so collaboration from industry and government will be required. This partnership is a fantastic example of how smarter working together can help us respond to the climate change emergency efficiently and benefit both the environment and our customers in Lanarkshire.
"We're focused on ensuring Scotland has access to a world-leading electric vehicle charging network and the electricity infrastructure needed to support. That’s why we are uniquely positioned, as the distribution network operator, to lead this project which aims to increase the number of EV chargers across the two trial areas.
"This will serve as a blueprint for other areas across the country in the shift to electric vehicles, ensuring every community has equal access to charging points connected into Scotland's electricity networks."
The partnership between SP Energy Networks, Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks was first announced by the First Minister on 29 August last year.
Councillor Michael McPake, Convener of the Environment and Transportation Committee for NLC, 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 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."
Councillor John Anderson, Chair of the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee for SLC also welcomed their decision to support the project.
He added: “This is a hugely ambitious plan that could see the electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the ChargePlace Scotland network potentially triple in size in South Lanarkshire alone, by the end of this year.
"The Scottish Government targets aim 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. Together with a raft of other measures taking place at local and national level, I genuinely hope that each small step we take can make a big difference."