8:25 am, August 29, 2025
The Scottish Government is backing a new pilot scheme which aims to make electric vehicles more widely accessible north of the border.
The Cross Pavement Charging Grant has been set up to help households without traditional off-street parking make the switch to electric motoring.
The programme will provide grants of up to £3,500 per household to fund the installation of charging solutions including gulley technology or pop-up bollards.
The scheme will initially be rolled out in East Lothian, Renfrewshire and Perth and Kinross as part of an initial pilot, but could be expanded if successful.
It is being supported by £250,000 of Scottish Government funding and delivered by the Energy Saving Trust.
The results will feed into the development of national guidance on cross-pavement charging.
Scottish Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: ‘I am really pleased to launch this pilot scheme, another way in which we are supporting Scotland’s transition to electric vehicles, reducing carbon emissions and aligning with the Scottish Government’s priority to tackle the climate emergency.
‘The fund will improve access to people without off-street parking, such as driveways, promoting accessibility to electric vehicles to people more likely to have limited public charging options.
‘Innovation and investment are crucial to continuing to support a Just Transition towards electric vehicle use and I look forward to hearing about more households successfully making the switch.’
Councillor John McMillan, East Lothian council cabinet spokesman for Environment, Economic Development and Tourism, added: ‘East Lothian has an excellent track record in supporting the transition to an electric future and we were delighted to give our backing to a scheme which helps make it even easier to switch to EVs.
‘For people who don’t have a driveway or another convenient place to plug in near their house, cable gullies offer an accessible option for charging their vehicle from home.
‘The council has been piloting this safer method of charging from home for nearly a year and we’ve received some great feedback from residents who have taken part.’
