Ahead of his first Traveling Cabinet, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney says the government plans to expand the electric vehicle charging network across Ayrshire and the Glasgow City Region. A 6.3-million-pound investment from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund will lead to the introduction of approximately 3,550 new public EV charge points across the region.
Swinney has also welcomed confirmation from charge point data provider ZapMap that Scotland has already reached its target of installing more than 6,000 public EV charge points, two years ahead of the 2026 target.
Cabinet Secretaries will visit businesses and projects across south Ayrshire to highlight their four priorities: eradicating child poverty, building prosperity, protecting the planet and improving public services. Swinney and Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop will visit an EV charging hub where they will meet representatives from EV infrastructure company IONITY.
The Cabinet will then meet at Ayr Town Hall, followed by a public discussion.
“Today’s announcement is clear evidence of our commitment to making sustainable travel accessible for everyone in Scotland,” says Swinney. “We need to maintain this rapid progress, working in greater partnership with the private sector to accelerate the pace and scale of delivery right across the country. By fast-tracking EV infrastructure, we’re paving the way for a net-zero Scotland while advancing our goal to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
“In 2023, we published our Vision for public EV charging infrastructure, highlighting the key role the private sector will play in delivering Scotland’s future EV charging requirements for public charging,” says Hyslop. “Through our 30-million-poiund EV Infrastructure Fund we are continuing to support public EV charging, providing local authorities with funding to enable them to work in partnership with the private sector to continue to expand public EV charging across Scotland.
“This approach is paying dividends — ensuring faster delivery and greater reliability of public charge points across the country,” adds Hyslop. “I’m pleased to welcome the matched investment from businesses such as IONITY, which is helping to scale up the provision of public EV charging across Scotland.”
