MILES BEHIND
Push for electric cars stalling in Scotland
SCOTLAND is lagging behind the rest of the UK in taking up electric cars, data reveals.
A survey found just 4.6 per cent of Scots motorists say they use an electric vehicle (EV) as their “everyday car” – the second worst rate after the northeast of England, on 3.9 per cent.
It’s worse than Wales, where six per cent say they drive electric every day, and Northern Ireland with 5.7 per cent.
The figure is also dwarfed by London, where nearly one in eight people use an EV daily, the highest rate in the UK.
The survey of more than 6000 people for rental giant Europcar also found Scotland languishing near the bottom for using EVs for commuting and holidays.
The findings chime with an expert report by the Climate Change Committee in December which found EV sales in Scotland had fallen behind England – with decarbonisation efforts stalling in many areas.
Critics say Scotland’s EV charging infrastructure – which has been described as a “postcode lottery” – is too patchy and glitchy to be reliable.
Lib Dem climate emergency spokesman Liam McArthur said: “For many Scots, an EV is not a practical option because the infrastructure for charging them is often inconvenient or non-existent.
“Even when you find a charger, there’s a good chance it’s broken or already occupied. If we want to prevent the rollout of EVs from stalling, the Scottish Government needs to invest more in expanding the network and ensuring it is properly maintained, particularly in rural areas.
“Scottish Lib Dems have consistently argued for a massive expansion of our charging network, with thousands of additional public charging stations in every rural and urban corner of Scotland.”
Transport Scotland said the country had “the most EV charge points outside of London and has the most rapid charge points anywhere in the UK”.
A spokesman added: “We want the experience of EV drivers to be even better, which is why reliability, alongside accessibility and availability, are at the heart of our draft vision for Scotland’s public electric vehicle charging network.”
Europcar said it would encourage Scots to join “try before you buy” rental schemes to ease fears around EVs and prove they are a practical option wherever you live.