OVER the course of May and June the Scottish Borders Council is reaching out to relevant stakeholders across the region to consult on electric vehicle use and charging infrastructure with residents, organisations and businesses encouraged to take part.

In the Scottish Borders the approach to electric vehicle charging has so far been fragmented and delivered through SBC community groups and businesses, and individuals making use of government funding.

This has developed small pockets of electric vehicle use across the region and a relatively limited supply of publicly accessible charging points.

The Council is now undertaking a regional, cross-sector assessment of supply, demand, and commercial opportunities to create a strategic delivery model for electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the future.

The way that charging infrastructure is being funded through Scottish Government is changing and the region requires to attract private investment for the expansion of our infrastructure.

Therefore the aim of the survey is to identify future charging demand that will create commercial opportunities for electric vehicle charging investment, supporting the growth of the network.

If the future demand can be grouped and marketed together to maximise private investment opportunities this would therefore minimise future expenditure for the public sector, individual businesses and residents.

The Council has agreed a Climate Change Route Map aimed at setting the Scottish Borders on a path to ‘net zero’ by 2045, in which the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced do not exceed what is absorbed naturally or through technology.

Changes to travel habits and more sustainable travel choices, such as the use of electric vehicles by the Council, business and residents, will play their part in helping to reach this goal.

To enable this to be a reality, and to ensure the right infrastructure is available, a better understanding is needed of how demand for electric vehicles is likely to grow, how the electricity grid can cater for the demand, and how the infrastructure can be equitably delivered across the whole of the Scottish Borders.

If you would like to be involved in this consultation, please visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/EVConsultation to undertake an online survey and register your interest.

For more information, contact the Communications and Marketing team on 01835 826632 or communications@scotborders.gov.uk