The Scot-Govt has allocated more than £15 million of new funding to support the drive for more battery-powered vehicles (BPVs).
The overall budget for the Low Carbon Transport Loan has now risen from £8 million to £20 million for 2018-19.
The scheme encourages businesses and consumers to switch to BPVs. Another similar fund, Switched on Fleets, has been increased from £1.2 million to £4.8 million.
In addition, the Scot-Govt has also announced the setting up of the Switched on Towns and the Cities Challenge Fund to promote greater use of BPVs in urban areas.
Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said the funds also supported the government’s Electric A9 project, which aims to improve the availability of BPV charging points on the nation’s longest trunk road.
However, new research from the energy consultancy Baringa Partners shows that people may be put off buying BPVs because they don’t want to wait more than a quarter of an hour to charge them when out and about.
Baringa warns that this impatience may require central government, charging infrastructure providers and car manufacturers to launch a public awareness campaign about when and how owners of BPVs are likely to charge their vehicles.
The consultancy’s new report, Is the UK ready for electric cars?, reveals that more than a third (36%) of people say that the battery taking too long to recharge is a key reason not to consider buying a 100% electric car.
On average, people say they are willing to wait a maximum of just 13 minutes to fully charge an electric car at a service station. This is far shorter than the 50 minutes it typically takes a standard 50kW rapid charging point, and more in line with what would be possible from a 350kW ultra-rapid charging point.
21 Jun 2018
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