ChargePlace Scotland are the newest kids on the Electroverse block. They are Scotland's electric vehicle (EV) charging network and with almost 3,000 public chargers you’re sure to encounter them if you’re heading there in your EV.
We wanted to get to know ChargePlace Scotland better so we sat down and chatted about their future, EV etiquette and all things charging!
(*You can check where your nearest ChargePlace Scotland charger is by searching the map or using the app filters)
ChargePlace Scotland is Scotland’s national Electric Vehicle (EV) charging network. It’s been developed and grown by the Scottish Government since 2011, funded through public grants made available to Local Authorities and other organisations, that have encouraged ongoing public infrastructure growth & availability to drivers.
ChargePlace Scotland stands out due to its strong government backing and community-oriented approach, and the provision of a single point of access and availability through one app or card. As a publicly funded network, Transport Scotland’s primary focus from the outset has been to promote EV adoption and the widespread availability of public charge points.
With an active driver base of 120,000, 32 local authorities and hundreds of commercial hosts, more rapid units per head of population that anywhere else in the UK, and of course award winning driver support, CPS continues to be a vibrant network and community.
As of now, ChargePlace Scotland (managed by EVolt Charging’s experienced team) operates just under 2900 publicly available charging stations across the country, providing extensive coverage for EV drivers, even in our more remote, and very scenic, areas
ChargePlace Scotland is charged to keep the network flowing and driver access available 24/7; while we work in partnership with all our owners, the progress and installation of new hardware and location selection is defined by their own unique investment & demand criteria.
Of course more and more, as with the UK wide picture, speed and accessibility remain key factors in everyone’s decision making.
ChargePlace Scotland has, over the last 10+ years, sought to demonstrate that good, reliable, publicly available charging is worthwhile. Building trust, and reliability, that would help instil confidence in drivers and in turn promote the growth in EV adoption over time.
In just the last 3 years alone, we’ve overseen an explosion in both drivers on the road, and utilisation of infrastructure over that period, with both domestic and fleet vehicles making use of the growing number of chargers available
This was accelerated through funding and incentives that encouraged driver use, and has also driven continuous network growth, helping make range anxiety a thing of the past. ChargePlace Scotland provides a strong foundation for the next phase of EV adoption which will see greater private sector investment in public EV charging being encouraged across the country in order to meet the needs of all drivers and zero emission fleets at greater place and scale.
In the early years, public charging was intentionally free at most locations to incentivise the early adoption of EV from petrol and diesel vehicles. The Scottish Government’s grant conditions did enable charge point owners to apply tariffs to cover costs.
While some free sites still exist here and there, there has been a natural reduction in free charging available due to the rise in energy costs and other economic challenges not unique to the EV industry. Indeed, charge points owners are now being encouraged to apply commercial-level tariffs to ensure that their sites remain economically viable in the years ahead.
ChargePlace Scotland offers a range of charging speeds, from standard 7kW chargers to Ultra rapid 150kW chargers. As previous, Scotland has for many years installed the most rapid chargers ( 50kW and above) per head of population, and still provides the most CP’s per head in the UK outside London.
Transport Scotland has laid out a vision for the future of Scotland’s EV future which can be found here:
As above, the next 5 years will see Scotland grow even further in terms of provision and EV adoption, with ChargePlace Scotland supporting, for a period, the transition from the old to the new. Welcoming private investment and growth that will sustain and drive the future of EV mobility.
Partnerships like the one between ChargePlace Scotland and Octopus Electroverse are crucial because they bring together expertise and resources from different sectors to create a more robust and comprehensive charging network. Such collaborations enhance interoperability, improve service quality, and accelerate the adoption of EVs by providing a seamless charging experience for drivers.
That would be telling, and possibly slightly controversial! What we find amazing is the choice available now. So much more than there was just a few years ago. It’s going to be interesting to see the landscape for EVs change!
As mentioned, the infrastructure on ChargePlace Scotland is owned by a large number of distinct hosts. Each of these is looking to manage its charging estate in the best way possible. Because of this things like pricing, time of day availability and rates could vary. Using the ChargePlace Scotland map, app and on-site signage would keep you up-to-date and knowledgeable about each charger.
Ideally before heading to any of our charging locations a driver would check out out of service list. We are completely transparent when it comes to charger availability and even publish our network performance on our website.
If you arrive to a chargepoint that isn't working the best course of action is to contact us via our helpline or drop us an email!
We have a newsletter that anyone can subscribe to and it will keep you up to date about the latest developments across the network!
We also push out information on X and Facebook so make sure your are connected with us on socials.
Be kind. Sometimes frustrations happen, and things don’t go exactly how we’d like them. However, we all, so every driver, owner, operator, and support advisor- want to keep moving and charge points working effectively. As a community, there is great strength and knowledge to draw on and support each other in this fantastic change.
Feeling enlightened or do you think something was missing? Let us know by sharing your feedback.
Interested in learning more? Head over to our Electroverse Community area for more electrifying content!
