THE growing number of electric vehicle drivers in Scotland received a major boost this week with the opening of the country’s biggest ultra-rapid charging hub.
And Holyrood Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth and Jennifer Walls, from the influential Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, were both on hand to highlight the development.
With eight chargers supplied by 100 per cent renewable energy, each powerpoint is capable of adding up to 300 miles of range to fully electric cars in as little as 20 minutes.
Built by Dutch firm Fastned, it’s handily located in the Palace Grounds Retail Park in Hamilton, just off the A72 and near the M74 – making it ideal for central belt commuters or those on longer north-south UK treks.
EV drivers will easily find the facility, part-funded by the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, as it boasts a highly visible solar canopy that helps users stay dry while charging.
The possibility of having a shop and cafe on the site to enhance the recharging experience is also under consideration.
Opening the hub, Scottish Government Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “This new station, with its striking design and powered by renewable energy, is a fantastic example of what can be delivered by the industry.
“Scotland is at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution and we are seeing impressive growth in uptake.
“We want to ensure that the public electric vehicle charging network keeps up with demand to meet the needs of people and businesses across the whole of Scotland.
“Companies like Fastned will have an increasingly important role to play in delivering our Net Zero ambition – bringing their expertise, resources, skills and investment.
“Its hub in Hamilton is a fantastic example of what can be done to further encourage people to realise the benefits of driving an electric vehicle.”
Jennifer Walls, director of Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, said: “It is essential that EV journey charger locations offering multiple simultaneous connections become as common as petrol filling stations across the country.
“The significant increase we are seeing in drivers switching to all-electric vehicles is incredible and so expanding the charging infrastructure in Scotland is vitally important to meet demand.
“The opening of facilities such as this will be yet a further incentive for owners of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to ignore the myths surrounding the lack of EV charge points and make the switch to all-electric.
“We are looking forward to seeing many more rapid charging stations installed across the country.”
