Concern has been raised about the provision of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Perth and Kinross.
At a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council council leader Grant Laing told councillors – in response to questioning – they were “getting very old and so break down more frequently”.
Perth and Kinross Council is currently working with partners to plan how many chargers will be needed in the future and that they have the required capacities and speed as technology evolves.
Infrastructure concerns
Conservative Blairgowrie and Glens councillor Bob Brawn – who drives a hybrid car – raised concern about EV infrastructure as councillors discussed PKC’s climate action annual report and action plans for 2023/24.
Cllr Brawn said: “I understand in the next two years we’ll have solid state batteries in cars which will charge quicker, they will run quicker and their recycled charging is up to 100,000 times which would perhaps increase the number of people who want to buy electric cars and create a second-hand market because the cars will last.”
He asked if PKC would increase the number of chargers and charging rate “because obviously you don’t want to have to wait half an hour for a car to charge.”
He added: “Higher kilowatt charges will charge in 18-20 minutes or 15 minutes sometimes.”
‘40% of charge points out of action’
The comments follow a story in The Courier in August stating the majority of free rapid electric vehicle chargers in Perth are currently broken and awaiting repair.
PKC’s climate change and sustainable development team leader Divindy Grant said: “We are working with partners across Tayside to both quantify the future projections over the next two, five, 10 years and how many chargers we’ll need, capacities and making sure they are at the appropriate speed.”
Cllr Brawn followed up: “Obviously one of the things that would encourage people to buy an electric car is the confidence that they can stop somewhere and charge.
“It’s recently been said in the paper some charging points are completely out of action – up to 40 per cent. I’m not sure if that’s just Perth and Kinross or generally. What is our policy to get these things repaired as quickly as possible?”
Repairs ‘not quick enough’
Council leader Grant Laing said: “My understanding is the infrastructure we have in Perth and Kinross is getting rather old and so break down more frequently.”
He added: “We have got the contract at the moment with the firm to replace and repair the chargers but the ones all over Scotland are the same age and it’s the same company that’s trying to repair them all so it’s becoming more difficult.
“You’re correct and I feel we are not getting them repaired quickly enough.
“There’s a procurement process going on and I’m sure Perth and Kinross will be very well sought after by the private sector to come in and provide new charging points.
“Obviously charging points will be at seven, 42 and moving up to 150/300 as cars. We’ve got to provide for the existing cars with batteries that can only take seven kilowatts but move forward as technology improves.”
He said PKC’s team was “very well on top of this”.
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