Carbon reduction on roads

The Scottish Government committed to phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel vans by 2032 in 2017. The Climate Change Plan update (published December 2020) brought that commitment forward to 2030. 

We have invested over £65 million since 2011 to support development of Scotland’s public EV charging network and by population Scotland has one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK.

Our Vision for public EV charging sets out the key areas underpinning a truly world-class, people-focused charging network –working seamlessly wherever you live or need to get to.

We are continuing to invest in public EV charging through the £30 million EV Infrastructure Fund, supporting local authorities to work with the private sector to leverage additional investment and continue to grow public EV charging across Scotland.

To help the public sector lead fleet decarbonisation from the front, we have provided over £80 million to support the public sector to decarbonise its fleet.  We have supported this transition by supporting the decarbonisation of cars, vans and a small number of demonstration projects focusing on heavy and specialist vehicles.

We have provided financial support to install charge points at people’s homes and at workplaces, as well as loans for individuals and businesses to support the switch to electric vehicles.

Scottish Government have invested over £65 million since 2011 to support development of Scotland’s public EV charging network. Local authorities have delivered the majority of this investment, but funding has also been provided to other public bodies and the third and private sectors to install public EV charging.

The Local Authority Installation Programme (LAIP), has been the main delivery vehicle supporting Scotland’s Local Authorities to install publicly available charge points. Grant funding was offered to Local Authorities through the Programme to install chargers on public land to help establish a comprehensive public charging network across all of Scotland.

Other funds, like the Low Carbon Travel and Transport Fund and Switched on Towns and Cities have provided targeted support to develop public charging and low carbon transport hubs as well as initiatives that support a range of EV charging users, including those without access to off street parking or home charging and for EV car clubs.

In 2017, the Scottish Government made a commitment to continue investing in our electric charging infrastructure until 2022. We have delivered against this commitment and by 2022 Scotland had one of the most comprehensive public EV charging networks in the UK. In 2022, Scottish Government then set a target of doubling the size of Scotland’s public charging network to 6,000 public charge points by 2026, through a combination of continued public and private sector investment, Scotland is on track to meet the 2026 target.

Continued support for local authorities to invest in public EV charging is now being provided through the EV Infrastructure Fund.

The Low Carbon Travel and Transport (LCTT) Challenge Fund aimed to support the public and third sectors to deliver innovative low carbon transport and active travel hubs. Projects often incorporate both low carbon and active elements, encouraging the use of a range of low carbon, active and public transport options.

Low carbon transport hubs will provide EV charging, often combined with renewable energy generation and battery storage. The locations and composition of these hubs will be determined by local circumstances and demand.

The Low Carbon Travel and Transport Challenge Fund was launched in 2016 and awarded approximately £18M funding to 24 projects. Projects delivered a mix of active travel and low carbon transport hubs.

Active Travel hubs  provide focal points for cycling and walking routes. The specifics of each hub are tailored to the location and based upon need but can typically include:

• Access to shared bikes
  
• Safe and secure facilities for personal bikes
  
• Bike repair/maintenance facilities
  
• Improved links to public transport
  
• Local path networks
  
• Travel information
  
• Associated outreach activity

Low Carbon Transport hubs  will provide EV charging and support the use of active and sustainable transport modes. The location and design of low carbon hubs is determined by local circumstances and demand.

State aid and the Low Carbon Travel and Transport Challenge Fund

We discussed the potential activities included within the Low Carbon Travel and Transport Challenge Fund with the Scottish Government's State Aid Unit and ERDF team. The State Aid Unit notified a General Block Exemption Regulation scheme covering various articles that covers most operational activities where state aid is considered to be present, although all activities were assessed on a case by case basis.

The Electric A9 has reinforced Scotland’s electric vehicle public charging network by helping EV drivers confidently travel across Scotland, offering important advantages to motorists in rural and urban areas of Scotland.

It has delivered a range of EV charging opportunities in and around local communities along the A9. EA9 charging Locations generally provide multiple charge points, with access to associated amenities. 

The Electric A9 has over 160 EV charge points installed across 35 locations, providing EV charging for long distance journeys, local charging for business, residents and for drivers at destinations in and around local communities. We are continuing to work with local authorities along the A9 corridor to help them develop approaches to work more closely with the private sector to continue to develop public EV charging for drivers travelling on the A9.

There are approximately 30,000 vehicles in the public sector fleet. Surveys were conducted in 2020, 2022, 2023, and at the end of 2024. View details on Scottish public bodies. The total reported vehicles vary slightly between the years due to some variation in public bodies contributing to the survey in each year. The 2024 survey was expanded to include colleges and universities, which operate a fleet of nearly 800 vehicles.

The public sector operates a diverse range of vehicles from motorbikes and cars to fire appliances, ambulances, and refuse collection vehicles. While zero-emission technology is currently available and widely adopted for lighter vehicles like cars and vans, suitable technological solutions for heavier or more specialised vehicles are not always available.

The Scottish Government has already provided over £80 million of funding through Switched on Fleets and other initiatives to support the decarbonisation of the public sector fleet. This investment has enabled the installation of fleet charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) and the deployment of zero and ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs).

The 2024 public sector fleet survey highlighted encouraging progress, with several public bodies making significant strides in decarbonising their fleets. Twelve organisations have now transitioned between 75% and 100% of their fleet to zero-emission vehicles, including six of these now operating fully zero-emission fleets.

By the end of 2024, over 5,800 zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) were in operation across the public sector, with survey data indicating that over 19% of the total fleet is made up of ZEVs. 

Progress despite some significant challenges

The Scottish Government welcomes the progress made to decarbonise public sector fleets despite some very significant challenges, including the disruption to vehicle supply chains as a result of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.

In addition, the upfront cost of many ZEVs remains significantly higher than internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents. Despite these challenges, the Scottish Government remains committed to working with the public sector, supporting and enabling Scotland’s public bodies to continue leading fleet decarbonisation from the front.

What next?

Over the past year, Transport Scotland officials have been working with the public sector to develop an Action Plan that identifies key opportunities and actions to continue to progress Public Sector fleet decarbonisation. The Action Plan reflects the current fiscal and operational environment and takes into account the cost and availability of relevant technologies. This Action Plan is expected to be published in 2026.

The 2025 survey of the public sector fleet is currently underway and following analysis, the findings will be published in summer of 2026.