by Bill Heaney
Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene has today said that only his party have set out a realistic plan to help EV drivers, fix roads, cut fuel duty and get Scotland moving again.
He revealed new research that shows less than 1% of the chargers for electric vehicles provided by the SNP government are the fastest kind.
Rapid and ultra-rapid charge points are the fastest kinds of chargers for Electric Vehicles (EVs), a fleet of which were purchased by West Dunbartonshire Council’s “pass the parcel” administration who now refuse to discuss where they have gone.
The data shows that as of the end of July 2025:
- Just 21.09% of publicly funded chargers in Scotland are rapid- these can charge vehicles within 30 to 60 minutes.
- Merely 0.107% of publicly funded chargers are ultra-rapid, which can charge vehicles within 15-30 minutes. This represents just 3 chargers out of the overall 2,789 publicly funded chargers.
- There are fewer rapid and ultra-rapid publicly funded chargers as at the end of July 2025 than the end of 2024, which may be as a result of chargers breaking down.
Scottish Liberal Democrats are committing to:
- Make it easier for people to drive electric vehicles by cutting the VAT in public charging and reviewing the unfair network costs that push up charging prices.
- Rapidly roll out far more charging points, including on-street points and ultra-fast chargers at service stations.
- Require all charging points to be accessible with a bank card and without the inconvenience of downloading apps.
- Cut fuel duty by 10p, bringing down prices at the pump by 12p a litre.
- Improve core connection, driving progress on major projects such as dualling the A9.
- Give local authorities the fair funding they need to fix more potholes and help you switch to an EV.
- Create a new data-driven Dangerous Roads Programme to ensure that where there is a dangerous road- no matter where you live- the government can’t ignore it.
“If we want people to switch to electric cars in big numbers, they need to be as convenient as a petrol engine. That means being able to charge quickly during a journey.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats have made a manifesto commitment to rapidly roll out far more charging points, including on-street points and ultra-fast chargers at service stations.
“We would require that all charging points are accessible with a bank card and without the inconvenience of downloading apps.
“That’s on top of our plans to cut fuel duty by 10p, make it impossible for the Scottish Government to ignore dangerous roads, no matter where you live, dual lifeline connections like the A9 and A96 and get Scotland moving again.
“We’re heading into the final days of this election, and you can vote to make our plans a reality by backing us on that second, peach, regional ballot paper.”
ENDS