Electric Vehicle Charging Points for Lanarkshire

A new project, which aims to create 40 electric vehicle charging hubs throughout Lanarkshire, has already provided 82MWh of energy to electric vehicles, which has resulted in almost 300,000 miles being driven using clean, green transport.

Twelve of the new ‘Project PACE’ charging hubs are currently available for public use, with another 16 new locations throughout Lanarkshire set to go live by early 2021. The project is on track to deliver more than 40 EV charging hubs by April 2021.

With Scotland preparing to host the UN COP26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow this summer, these charging hubs are being delivered via a strategic partnership between SP Energy Networks and the Scottish Government. The first site was opened by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity at Strathclyde Country Park in August 2020.

Project PACE is facilitated by both North and South Lanarkshire Councils. They are working in collaboration with Transport Scotland and SP Energy Networks to test a new approach to planning and delivering EV charging infrastructure.

The hubs have been used over 4,500 times in their current locations.

Project PACE is to deliver around 180 EV chargers in more than 40 EV charging hubs in North and South Lanarkshire by April 2021. This pioneering project will increase the number of EV chargers in Scotland as a whole by about 14% compared to the baseline in December 2019, and is expected to accommodate the charging of an additional 5,000 electric vehicles.

As well as benefits for the environment, the project offers substantial savings for customers, with each PACE charging hub expected to save between £30,000 and £60,000 on electricity grid connection costs per new location. This equates to a total of between £1.3million and £2.6million of taxpayer money saved across all the planned sites.

Scott Mathieson, Director of Network Planning and Regulation at SP Energy Networks, said: “The benefits of Project PACE are already clear as we reach the halfway point in this pioneering project. It’s particularly pleasing to be delivering the project on budget and on time as we begin to see the environmental and financial benefits it creates.

“We’re proud to be leading the way when it comes to meeting both Scottish and UK Government Net Zero targets and Project PACE is a blueprint for collaborative working towards the roll out of EV charging across the country.

“This project is vital to delivering the ambitious goals set out in the Scottish Government’s recently updated climate change plan which includes the world-leading interim goal of a 75% reduction in emissions by 2030.

“We’re committed to ensuring every community has access to electric vehicle charging points and supporting the country as a whole as we work towards a green economic recovery that maximises opportunities to build a thriving, sustainable economy.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: “It’s great to see the continued progress of Project PACE to this midway point. Already, we’re beginning to get a sense of the positive impact this work is already having across Lanarkshire and for the wider environment.

“The delivery of electric vehicle infrastructure is an important part of our green recovery. It provides work and economic stimulus across Scotland as we move to a net-zero economy. Of course, we need to see modal shift away from cars – but for those who require a private vehicle, decarbonisation is an important part of achieving the world-leading targets outlined in our updated Climate Change Plan.

“Last week, we confirmed Scotland now benefits from over 1500 charge points across the ChargePlace Scotland Network. I’m pleased this work has continued throughout 2020 and I look forward to seeing the final results from Project PACE – which already shows promise in delivering EV charging infrastructure more effectively and efficiently than before.”

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