Electric Vehicles

This month we bring news from the Tactran region of exciting developments in Electric Vehicles (EVs). In this blog we’ll talk about our soon-to-be-launched Electric Vehicle Strategy, as well as the Switched On Stirling project, Dundee’s pop-up chargers, the Low Carbon hub in Perth, and more.

To stay up to date with our latest developments, follow us on Twitter.

Tactran’s Electric Vehicle Strategy

The Tactran region has some of the most innovative and extensive infrastructure in the UK, including Tesla superchargers and the integration of battery storage and solar generation at charging hubs.

In October 2018, Dundee was named as the most visionary city in Europe for electric vehicles by the World Electric Vehicle Association at a ceremony in Japan.

The four Tactran authorities are making great strides individually and now we’re looking to build on this work and develop and implement a regional strategy for EVs.

Why is an EV strategy needed?

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars will end in Scotland by 2032. The predicted EV fleet share could be as high as 65% by this point. (It’s currently less than 1%.) This could mean that 18,000 publicly accessible charge points will be required in the region+ – a 4,400% increase on the current 400.

This increased EV use must be accommodated as part of a holistic approach to electrification of the whole transport sector along with maximising other sustainable travel opportunities.

What has been done so far?

Tactran commissioned Urban Foresight, the world’s first dedicated smart city consultancy, who developed the original roadmap for Transport Scotland and who manage Dundee’s Mobility Innovation Living Lab (MILL) to help develop a regional EV strategy.

We have looked at the current infrastructure that the four authorities have projected and the likely uptake of electric vehicle usage, as well as where electric vehicles are currently based and used. 

Our vision

We have developed a draft vision for the Tactran area – “To be Scotland’s exemplar region for enabling the electrification of transport in the context of a smart, integrated, sustainable mobility system”.

Three key interrelated themes were identified in taking the strategy forward:

1. Supporting vehicle uptake
2. Developing infrastructure 
3. Promoting electric mobility

The 13 objectives of the strategy focus on the scope in which we can implement meaningful change, and will account for the different market sectors, vehicle types and ownership types.

In short, this is not just about replacing fossil-fuelled cars for electric ones. Our holistic approach considers the wider transport network, how EVs fit into that network along with other modes of transport such as cycling and how this will support our communities and businesses to prosper. 

Next steps

In the near future we propose bringing together a regional EV forum, to allow the key players to collaborate and develop detailed action plans for each area and help push projects forward. This will also give us potentially greater access to funding opportunities. 

In September we will take our draft EV strategy to the Tactran Board for approval and aim to publish the final document shortly afterwards. We’ll publish it here but please email [email protected] if you’d like to be one of the first to receive an electronic copy.

Switched On Stirling

The Switched On Stirling project will receive up to £2.2m to support the installation of 133 electric vehicle (EV) charging bays across the city and nearby settlements, as well as the procurement of EVs. The project, led by Stirling Council, includes the addition of almost 80 publicly available EV charging bays at locations including the Wellgreen multi-storey car park, Springkerse Park & Ride, the University of Stirling, community facilities and residential areas.

Perth’s Low Carbon Transport Hub

The Low Carbon Transport hub to be created at Broxden Park & Ride, Perth, will use innovative low-carbon technologies to provide and support alternative fuelling facilities. 

A combination of on-site renewable energy generation from a solar array and solar canopies, and a battery storage unit, will be deployed to sustainably support the EV charging systems. This new combination will enable the EV provision at the site to be self-supporting for the first two years of operation.

The Low Carbon Transport Hub will also link to the proposed development at Perth West, which is being developed by the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, Perth & Kinross Council and other bodies including Tactran and Transport Scotland. This project will receive up to £5 million in Tay Cities funding, subject to a robust business case. It comprises a national Eco Innovation Business Park and sustainable expansion to the city of Perth supported by a smart energy grid.

The Electric A9

The Scottish Government is developing its longest EV-ready route, the Electric A9. The route will expand and reinforce Scotland’s existing EV charge place infrastructure, run along the entire route of the A9, Scotland’s longest road at 273 miles (439km). The Electric A9 will provide EV charging for long-distance journeys, local charging for businesses and residents, and charging at your destination.

Find out more

To keep up to date with developments along the Electric A9, and the latest about charge points in Scotland, follow Tactran and ChargePlaceScotland on Twitter.

A new way to charge EVs in Dundee 

Pop-up electric car chargers will appear in Dundee streets thanks to new funding, as the city’s innovative electric vehicle infrastructure moves up a gear.

Smart city consultancy Urban Foresight has been awarded £3 million from the Westminster Government’s Innovate UK scheme for tests into low-cost, scalable charging solutions for electric vehicle users with on-street parking. Up to 18 charging hubs will be installed in Dundee and Plymouth, mainly in residential and public streets. The chargers will be ‘pop-up’ models, to avoid street clutter and obstructions and integrate the equipment into the streetscape.  

Project partners include Urban Electric, Appy Parking, Dundee City Council, Plymouth City Council, Co-Wheels Car Club and Duku Product Design and Development.

Dundee to expand its fleet of EVs and charge points

The Dundee Partnership: 95 Electric project, led by Dundee City Council, will receive up to £2,498,097 over two financial years to support the procurement of up to 95 EVs in the local authority and partner organisation fleets. The funding will also support the installation of an additional 66 EV charging bays across the city and surrounding area.

Dundee City Council plans to explore making available EVs for public use as well as developing an intelligent web-based app to support access to a range of services including EV charge point availability and booking of EV car club vehicles.

Next month

In October we’ll be exploring cycling. It’s experiencing a surge in popularity, boosted by a new generation of electric bikes, and we’ll be bringing you cycling news and developments happening across the Tactran region. Visit the Tactran blog to find out more, and follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

Dundee EV images courtesy of Urban Foresight

Blue Nissan Leaf Image courtesy of Angus Forbes

A9 image reproduced with kind permission by Transport Scotland

All other images – Tactran