Charging ahead with electric vehicles
Another four new electrical vehicle charging points are being installed in West Lothian.
The latest four units at Morris Square in Livingston will take the number of individual charging points in the county to 32.
West Lothian Council currently operate 28 charge points at 10 locations and say they are looking to expand the number of electric vehicle charging points this year.
In addition to those provided by the council, there are a number of charge points operated by others including those at Bathgate, Uphall and West Calder railway stations.
Funding for these has been provided by Transport Scotland and the network itself is operated by ChargePlace Scotland.
An application for planning permission has also recently been lodged with the council for another two electrical vehicle charging points and four parking bays.
In the three months to December 17 2020, there were 5125 charging sessions on the council network, with a total electricity usage of 80,725kWh.
ChargePlace Scotland recently published details of the most used charge points in 2020 .
This identified the rapid charger at Almondvale Stadium as the seventh most used in the country.
Both the Scottish and United Kingdom governments have set target dates for the phasing out of conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans.
This will happen in Scotland by 2032.
The rest of the UK is two years ahead of that in phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.
These targets present a significant challenge in ensuring that there is sufficient charging capacity for the anticipated steep rise in electric vehicle (EV) ownership.
Executive councillor for the Environment Tom Conn said the local authority is working on the network.
He said: “The council will continue to play an important role in the expansion and development of the EV charging network within West Lothian over the coming years.
“This is why officers are working on a number of short and medium term actions. These include focusing on filling any geographic gaps in the rapid and fast networks and identifying key locations for installation of charging facilities based on anticipated demand and availability of electrical supply.”
Councillor Conn continued: “The number of council-operated EV charge points in West Lothian has continued to increase in the last year, with more installations planned.
“Forecasts indicate a significant rise in EV ownership in the coming years, and to facilitate this we will continue to utilise and maximise funding opportunities to further enhance the network as well as identifying a suitable on-street solution for residential areas.”
Councillor Conn added: “It is important to note that while the council’s role in providing charging facilities is important, it should not be seen as solely our responsibility.
“In the rest of the United Kingdom, development of charging networks is being driven by commercial operators such as Ecotricity, Osprey and Chargemaster who are installing charge points at key locations including service stations and supermarkets.”