£85,000 investment in new power points for electric vehicles
A dozen new electric vehicle charging points costing have been installed at three Inverclyde sites as part of an £85,000 project to spark a green transport revolution.
The council has plugged the gap in charging provision with points at Station Avenue, just off Cathcart Street leading to Greenock Central Station, Battery Park car park and at Willison’s Lane in Port Glasgow next to Princes Street House.
Each site has a twin 22kW charger and a twin 7kW charger across four parking bays per location.
The £85k project, part of Inverclyde Council’s commitment to tackling climate change, was funded by the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland.
The unveiling of the new charging points by Councillor Michael McCormick, convener of environment and regeneration, comes ahead of Climate Week 2020, which runs from 14-20 September.
Cllr McCormick said: “The usage of electric vehicles has really taken off in recent years and Inverclyde Council has been at the forefront of the green transport revolution with almost two-thirds of the council’s car and van fleet now powered by electricity.
“These points will support the council fleet and are also available to members of the public to use.
“They complement and enhance the existing electric vehicle charging points dotted across Inverclyde, including just along the road in Cathcart Street here in Greenock Town Centre.”
The council has been leading the way with zero emissions vehicles within its fleet since 2011 when the first four vehicles were introduced.
Following the success of an initial five-year trial period, more ‘green’ modes of transport have been rolled out as the local authority makes great strides towards meeting the Scottish Government target to phase out the purchase of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.
The council now has 30 electric vehicles in operation, representing 61 per cent of its car and small van fleet, helped by £140k of funding from Transport Scotland over the last three years with a further £70k committed in the current 2020/21 financial period.
It is anticipated that electric vehicles will represent over 80 per cent of the local authority’s fleet of within the next two years.