Switched On Scotland Aims To Decarbonise Scottish Transport By 2050

September 23rd, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

Originally published on EV Obsession.

Photo Credit: twicepix / Foter / CC BY-SA

Scotland — long a leader in clean, renewable electricity — has now set a plan in motion for an electric vehicle revolution in order to take even better advantage of that clean electricity.

The £14 million ’Switched On Scotland’ plan was officially announced earlier this month, but it actually includes some programs that have been in place for awhile. For example, it includes the UK government’s £5,000 plug-in car grant as well as ChargePlace Scotland, a program that provides a network of recharging points across the country.

The “Switched on Scotland” plan was developed by leaders in industry, academia, and government. “Discounted ferry fares for electric vehicles on all routes to Mull and Bute are also being introduced as part of a pilot scheme as a further incentive for people to purchase EVs,” the Transport Scotland press release notes. “Electric vehicles owners will be able to take advantage of a 50% discount on single car tickets.”

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“I am delighted to be launching Switched on Scotland which is the result of a strong partnership approach. The Roadmap has been shaped by extensive consultation through our E-cosse partnership and by expert input from our EV Strategic Board.

…

“This transformation is absolutely vital to achieve our ambitious climate change targets. It will also help improve local air quality with a resultant improvement in public health and wellbeing and contribute toward further energising Scotland’s economy through opportunities for our flourishing green technology industries and our renewable energy sector.”

Gordon McGregor, co-chair of the EV Strategic Board and energy and environment director, Scottish Power added: “I am delighted to be supporting the launch of ’Switched On Scotland’ today. It offers the potential to move away from our dependence on fossil fuels for transport. The actions it contains can help deliver Scotland’s targets on energy & climate change, make our towns and cities less polluted and offer support to industry through economic development and R&D in support of clean technology markets.”

In addition to the financial and infrastructure support, the program also includes “soft” support. For example, the Scottish government offers expert advice for potential EV owners and will even connect them with existing EV owners and help them to experience EVs first-hand at their local dealerships: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Travel/Electric-Vehicle-Network.

As a part of that initial education, the press release notes: “Electric vehicle owners currently pay no road tax and are cheaper to run at 2/3p a mile to power an electric car compared to 16p a mile for the average fossil-fuelled family car. Scottish households that buy an electric vehicle have the added bonus of a 100% grant for a home charging point.”

To read the full “Switched on Scotland” plan can be viewed here: http://www.greenerscotland.org/greener-travel/electric-vehicles/electric-vehicles-scotland

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Tags: Scotland, Scotland electric cars, Scotland electric vehicles, Switched on Scotland, Transport Scotland

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

Omega Centauri

100% grant for a home charging point. Thats sounds like a recipe for overpriced charging points. Already I see level two charging stations (hardware only) being advertised for $800, when a fifty dollar plug/cord would do the job instead. We have to be careful to subsidize smartly, otherwise we risk subsidizing inefficiency.
- Ronald Brakels
  
  Given the ferocity of Scottish current, free adaptors do seem unnecessary. But thanks to the UK doing the opposite of Australia and choosing to have a depression to rival the 1930s, UK wages are so lousy they are now assembling Japanese electric cars for local use which can’t accept UK current. I imagine the free home charging point may have something to do with this development.
JamesWimberley

Another Scottish Government mini programme to get brownie PR points. GBP 14m doesn´t buy much.
I like the discounted ferry rates for Mull and Bute, in the very sparsely populated Hebrides. The bulk of the Scottish population (70%) lives in the central belt linking Edinburgh and Glasgow, which are 52 miles apart. In this compact zone EVs are very suitable. They don´t yet make sense in the Highlands and Islands, but Salmond has to make the token gesture.
Still, it´s good a see a cynical professional politician making green points rather than denialist ones.
Ross

With all those incentives and the high probability of further significant improvements in costs and battery technology the 2050 target is ridiculously conservative. Lob twenty years off that.
- Bob_Wallace
  
  After the last gasmobile is seen in a dealer’s showroom it will still take a couple decades to get all the older ones replaced. Higher operating costs don’t have a huge impact on people who drive few miles and their 2031 Gasmobile will probably still be going in 2051.
  
  But I concur, in general. If we get longer range, affordable EVs by 2020 then ICEVs will be pretty much done for by 2030 and most will be worn out/crushed before 2040.
  - Ronald Brakels
    
    As long as people pay to have the CO2 their cars release removed from the atmosphere (and for other externalities) then I don’t mind how long people keep their old jalopies. And with vehicles in the UK having to pay hundreds of pounds in car exise duty per year based upon their emissions a lot of people will get rid of their internal combustion engine cars and either switch to electric cars or rely on self driving taxis which may replace a lot of private transport before too long.