Green light for pioneering electric vehicle infrastructure plan

An ambitious strategy to install a network of on-street electric vehicle charging ‘hubs’ across the Capital has moved one step forward, following approval by councillors.Members of the Transport and Environment Committee agreed a detailed project plan for the installation of charging infrastructure including selected locations for 66 on-street charging points across 14 hubs.The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure business case, which recognised the rising popularity of electric vehicles in the city, was given the go-ahead by Committee in October and proposed the implementation of 211 on-street charging points by 2023 at a cost of £3.3m. Improvements to infrastructure are predicted to result in carbon savings of 7,715 tonnes and savings in Nitrogen Dioxide of over 14 tonnes.A comprehensive project plan for installing the first tranche of chargers by 2020 addresses key components for delivery, such as charger location, a possible enforcement regime and project governance. This will be supported by a £2.2m grant from Transport Scotland.