To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points, particularly in rural areas. (S6O-03569)

The Scottish Government has invested more than £65 million in public EV charging since 2011. As a result of that and increasing private investment, Scotland has the best provision of public EV charging per head of any part of the United Kingdom except London, and the most rapid charge points of any part of the UK. We now have more than 5,000 public EV charging points and we are on target to hit 6,000 by 2026.

We are investing a further £30 million through our EV infrastructure fund and supporting local authorities to leverage private investment to continue to grow public EV charging, with funding specifically prioritising those areas of Scotland that are less likely to attract private investment in public charging points, including rural and island communities. Earlier this month, two EV infrastructure fund grants were issued to support continued growth of the public EV charging network across a number of local authority areas, and further grants are due to be issued during 2024.

The ability to use electric vehicles depends on the ability to access charging points, which are more likely to be found in urban areas. To support our rural households, will the Scottish Government consider off-grid wind or solar-powered charging points in rural areas to avoid overburdening the grid?

That is an interesting point. I will ask my officials to look at what might be more self-sustaining in the provision of charging points. We welcome any innovative ideas on how we might roll out charging points all over Scotland, which is a big geographical area. For example, we have recently seen BT using green street cabinets as an innovative way of improving the range of charging points.

Alongside the private sector, local authorities have a key role to play in continuing to grow the EV charging network, especially in the many rural areas of Scotland that might otherwise struggle to attract commercial investment. Can the Cabinet secretary advise what the Scottish Government is doing to support councils to play their part?

We have a clear partnership with local authorities. We provide the EV charging infrastructure fund that I mentioned in my first answer. It is expected that, this year, Scotland will benefit from up to £15 million of private sector investment in public EV charging, and our £30 million EV infrastructure fund encourages local authorities to collaborate in order to develop the scale of opportunity that can attract commercial investment. That is really important in order to develop provision across the country and support the skills, expertise and resources that will be needed. Local authorities are key partners in that work.

When I visited Mowi in Rosyth a few months ago, I saw that it was installing quite a number of EV chargers. It explained to me that it intends to continue that process and hopes to open the charging points to the public. Does the Government see employers as having a key role here? If so, is it speaking to employer organisations, particularly in rural Scotland?

That point is well made. The range and extent of EVs and, therefore, people’s confidence in using them will depend on the charging network. Clearly, we want to encourage people to use public transport, but if people are still using cars to travel to work, particularly in more rural areas, it is important that employers can provide charging points. That, too, will be part of the programme, with private and public investment working together to create that extended reach.