A report to an upcoming meeting of West Lothian Council Executive is to seek approval for the areas first ever Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (EVIP).
Funding to develop the Plan has been provided by the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF). EVIF is jointly managed by Transport Scotland and Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and aims to at least double Scotland's public EV charging network by 2026 in a way that is aligned with the Scottish Government's Draft Vision for Public EV Charging.
The proposed plan sets out an overarching vision for EV charging in West Lothian that all people living in and visiting West Lothian have access to a comprehensive and reliable network of public EV chargers which are accessible and easy to use, provide convenient and affordable access for all and support active and sustainable travel choices.
The plan notes that in order to support the stated vision, two key objectives have been identified to ensure there is a robust charging network across West Lothian:
- 10% of parking spaces in key West Lothian Council owned car parks will be EV by 2026, and;
- Over 50% of households with no off-road car parking in West Lothian will be within a reasonable walk (200-400m) of a charging site by 2026.
At the time of preparing the Plan, there were a total of 76 charge points across 51 locations in West Lothian. This figure includes the 32 units owned by West Lothian Council which are currently operated through the ChargePlace Scotland network. Of the 76, currently only 25 are privately operated.
The report concludes that the development of the council's first Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan is a key step in ensuring that there is a robust charging network across West Lothian that supports the just transition from conventional cars and other light vehicles to low carbon equivalents.
If the plan is approved, updates on development of the business case will be provided to the Environment & Sustainability Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel and Council Executive as required.
