Murdo Fraser MSP has said that more funding needs to be provided by the Scottish Government to local authorities to enable a better roll-out of electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
This follows the supply of details by the Scottish Government under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 to the Scottish Conservatives, which shows that there are currently 91 ‘charge places’ in working order in Perth and Kinross, with 110 in Fife – as of November 4.
Of the 91 charge places in Perth and Kinross, 15 were found to have a transmission error and 9 had faults. Meanwhile, in Fife, 9 had transmission errors, with three having faults.
However, the Scottish Government has stated that a transmission error is not classified as a fault and that the particular charge point is still available for use. They state that charge points with ‘transmission error’ would still be considered in working order.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “It is very commendable for motorists to buy electric cars but in order for more of us to do so we definitely need to see more electric vehicle charging points. For instance, I know there were some problems previously encountered in Perth when many of the EV charging points weren’t working.
“We also have to consider the number of tourists who visit Perth and Perthshire and who choose to drive electric vehicles whilst here. They will obviously need to use EV charging points so the Scottish Government need to ensure there are sufficient charging points, including some that are available in more remote, rural parts of our country.
“I know the Scottish Government does not own or operate any publicly available EV charge points but they do give funding to local authorities to do so, and they allocated £140,000 to each of Scotland’s 32 Councils in order to ‘support development’ of ‘public EV charging points’.”
Mr Fraser: “There is a definite push towards trying to encourage more of us to buy electric cars but I am aware there is also some scepticism, partly due to the cost of some of these vehicles and also apprehension from some motorists that there are not enough EV charging points located across the UK. Depending on the model of electric car you may buy, it is estimated that you can expect to drive between 150 to 300 miles (240-483km) before having to recharge your vehicle.
“However, the fact that there are presently just over 200 EV charging points in most of Mid Scotland and Fife concerns me. I am therefore calling for more funding to local authorities from the Scottish Government to ensure there are a sufficient number available as we move forwards in the 21st Century.”
