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‘Plugged-in’ Scheme to Boost Access to Ultra-low Emission Vehicles
The Scottish Government said access to ultra-low emission vehicles will be widened by the investment.
Scots will be given greater access to ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) through a £700,000 investment fund led by Transport Scotland.
As part of the Plugged-in Households Grant Fund, housing associations will be able to apply for funding to procure the services of car clubs so tenants and local residents can hire low-emission cars when required.
The announcement follows significant investment in electric or low-emission vehicle infrastructure across Scotland, which includes the introduction of additional charging points across Edinburgh.
Going Green
While electric vehicle uptake is rising across Scotland, many do not have the option to invest in an electric car or adequate access to charging points. To help mitigate these barriers the initiative aims to improve access to ULEVs by offering alternative options.
The fund will be administered by the Energy Saving Trust and will build on an existing scheme by the Scottish Government to offer interest-free loans to those seeking to buy electric or hybrid vehicles.
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Connectivity and Infrastructure, said this could play a key role in meeting the Scottish Government’s ambition to phase out new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032.
“The Scottish Government has an ambition to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032,” he said. To do this we need to widen access to electric vehicles to communities across the nation. Plugged-in Households is an innovative way of doing this.”
Explaining the scheme, Matheson said: “It will give both housing association tenants and local residents the opportunity to access electric vehicles as they are required, instead of drivers having to buy vehicles out-right. It will also help address concerns around access to off-street charging infrastructure and the affordability of ULEVs.”
The Cabinet Secretary said that this forms a part of the government’s “wide-ranging” incentives to encourage electric vehicle use.
“Our support to encourage electric vehicle use is wide-ranging,” he commented. “From incentives for public sector organisations, businesses and motorists as well as continuing investment to improve the charging infrastructure across the country. Plugged-in Households is a fantastic new option and it will allow more motorists to make their contribution to improving our air quality.”
Enabling Access
More than 280,000 homes across Scotland are part of housing associations and cooperatives. Often, tenants of these developments have little to no access to private, off-street parking spaces. This means they cannot participate in the Zero Emission Vehicle market unless they charge solely from public chargepoints.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, tenants will be able to access:
- affordable access to zero-emission vehicles to households across Scotland, including those without allocated off-street parking.
- viable alternatives to owning a vehicle for people who only need one occasionally.
- access to alternative transport options for people who don’t have their own vehicle.
- opportunities to experience electric vehicles regardless of income or location.
Growing Demands
Figures revealed in August highlighted the popularity of electric vehicles in Scotland. Car data and insights firm, Cazana, said six Scottish regions are among the country’s top 20 for used electric and hybrid car sales; with Argyll and Bute coming second on a UK-wide scale.
This region accounted for around 4% of UK sales, which put it marginally behind Kent. Angus, North Ayrshire, Edinburgh, the Borders and East Renfrewshire were all showed to be outperforming other regions across the country.
Speaking in August, Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland said these figures showed a “strong political commitment” and “real investment” by the Scottish Government.
