I have raised the need for greater partnership between the Scottish Government and local authorities, businesses and communities on electric vehicle charging infrastructure in a debate in the Scottish Parliament.
I spoke of my village of Kelty, which has zero public electric vehicle chargers, during the debate on the Prime Minister’s recent U-turns on key UK green policies.
I also raised the need to make significant progress on electric vehicle infrastructure, raising Office of National Statistic figures that show Fife has the fourth-lowest number of electric vehicle chargers for its population in Scotland, at only 44 chargers per 100,000 people, of which only 7 would be rapid chargers.
I believe the Scottish Government “can and must do better” and that the Scottish Government needs “joined-up partnerships with employers and industry, with local communities leading on ensuring that infrastructure for electric vehicles is put in place.”
I also used the opportunity to raise the need for greater adoption of public transport and resources for local authorities to ensure public transport is “affordable, accessible and reliable.”
Commenting, Mr Rowley said:
“If we are serious about meeting our rightly ambitious net-zero goals and successfully transitioning away from petrol and diesel in favour of electric vehicles, the very basic infrastructure needs to be in place. I have had constituent’s contact me from across Fife pointing out that as well as the cost of the cars being a barrier, the lack of charging points is putting them off.
“While electric vehicles may be a viable option for those who can charge their cars at home, the public charging points are not in place for many across Fife to make the switch.
“I appreciate the point that the former Minister for Transport, Kevin Stewart MSP, made on Scotland having more charging points per head that anywhere else in the UK other than London, but the reality of the situation is – unfortunately, like many aspects of public life in Scotland at the moment – that there remains a postcode lottery for provision as different local authorities work on this project in different ways.
“There is now a great need for the Scottish Government to work in partnership with those local authorities, as well as businesses and local communities, to plug the gaps in our infrastructure.
“There is a clear role for a public charging infrastructure in Scotland’s net-zero future, and the Scottish Government must intervene now to ensure that work is done. I have been in touch with Fife Council, but I am clear they will need the funding in place. I am also urging them to work with local communities and indeed local employers to develop a plan for the roll-out of a charging network across the Kingdom.
“As I also mentioned when speaking on this in parliament, I do not believe our transport climate targets will be met simply by replacing every vehicle in the driveway with an electric equivalent, so it is essential that more is done to encourage the use of public transport, and the only way to do that is to ensure public transport is affordable, accessible and reliable.”
ENDS
Speech by Alex Rowley MSP, Meeting of Parliament 26/09/23 – https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-26-09-2023?meeting=15461&iob=131921#orscontributions_M5119E336P825C2518777
Below – Data on electric vehicle chargers by local authority (https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/local-authority-data-electric-vehicles-and-charging-points/)
| COUNCIL | ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS | |||
| TOTAL | of which RAPID | Total/100,000 | Rapid/100,000 | |
| Aberdeen City | 158 | 34 | 69.5 | 14.9 |
| Aberdeenshire | 152 | 28 | 57.9 | 10.7 |
| Angus | 77 | 27 | 66.3 | 23.3 |
| Argyll and Bute | 107 | 24 | 124.1 | 27.8 |
| City of Edinburgh | 312 | 79 | 59.3 | 15 |
| Clackmannanshire | 38 | 5 | 73.7 | 9.7 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 194 | 43 | 130.4 | 28.9 |
| Dundee City | 179 | 57 | 121.2 | 38.6 |
| East Ayrshire | 96 | 19 | 78.7 | 15.6 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 28 | 3 | 25.7 | 2.8 |
| East Lothian | 187 | 29 | 170.7 | 26.5 |
| East Renfrewshire | 26 | 8 | 26.9 | 8.3 |
| Falkirk | 77 | 23 | 47.9 | 14.3 |
| Fife | 166 | 26 | 44.3 | 6.9 |
| Glasgow City | 342 | 75 | 53.8 | 11.8 |
| Highland | 321 | 119 | 134.8 | 50 |
| Inverclyde | 38 | 5 | 49.5 | 6.5 |
| Midlothian | 72 | 17 | 76 | 18 |
| Moray | 76 | 15 | 78.8 | 15.6 |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | 49 | 10 | 183.9 | 37.5 |
| North Ayrshire | 72 | 22 | 53.6 | 16.4 |
| North Lanrkshire | 188 | 88 | 55.1 | 25.8 |
| Orkney | 51 | 15 | 226.3 | 66.5 |
| Perth and Kinross | 188 | 59 | 122.2 | 38.4 |
| Renfrewshire | 123 | 37 | 68.4 | 20.6 |
| Scottish Borders | 85 | 24 | 73.3 | 20.7 |
| Shetland Islands | 31 | 6 | 135.1 | 26.2 |
| South Ayrshire | 81 | 17 | 72 | 15.1 |
| South Lanarkshire | 208 | 82 | 64.5 | 25.4 |
| Stirling | 151 | 28 | 161.5 | 30 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 46 | 9 | 52.4 | 10.3 |
| West Lothian | 66 | 18 | 35.6 | 9.7 |
