North Ayrshire Council is committed to promoting the uptake of electric vehicles and developing a robust charging infrastructure for residents, businesses and visitors. This document presents North Ayrshire Council’s first Electric Vehicle Strategy and outlines how the council will support electric vehicle (referred to as ‘EV’) adoption. Encouraging the uptake of EVs is fundamental to tackling climate change issues and by reducing traffic pollution, we will also improve the quality of life of people who live, work and visit North Ayrshire.

As a public body that plans for the long term, the council is uniquely placed to play a significant role in the EV revolution. A Climate Emergency has been declared by the council in June 2019, with a commitment to become net-zero carbon by 2030. Electric vehicles will not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change, but also help improve local air quality and therefore public health and wellbeing.

The aim of the council’s Electric Vehicle strategy is to increase the number of EVs being used throughout North Ayrshire by creating a robust network of EV charge points.

The strategic objectives of the EV Strategy are to:

• create a deliverable action plan to facilitate an increase the number of EVs being used through North Ayrshire
• take a proactive approach in creating a strong network of publicly accessible EV charge points which will meet the demand in the future
• address air quality issues that have, or will arise due to transport-related issues
• inform and complement the council’s wider policies on environmental sustainability and transport
• raise awareness of the benefits of EVs and the charging infrastructure that is available
• contribute to the council’s commitment to become net-zero carbon by 2030

Within a study undertaken by the European Federation for Transport & Environment, the European Commission recommended that for electric vehicles to become commercially viable, there must be at least one charge point for every ten Plug-in-Vehicles (PiVs) on the road. PiVs is a blanket term for any vehicle with a plug socket, including EVs and plug in hybrid vehicles.

North Ayrshire Council’s baseline as of December 2020 is one charge point for every five PiVs registered in North Ayrshire. The council has exceeded the target set by the European Commission, however, this is due to the low numbers of EVs registered rather than the size of the charging network.

By December 2025, the council’s aspirational target is to have:

• one publicly accessible charge point for every nine PiVs (this target includes both council owned and privately owned charge points and is subject to funding)
• 2% of total number of vehicles registered in North Ayrshire to be PiVs
• 80 workplace charge sockets (44 workplace chargers with varying number of outlets)

The council’s target to have one publicly accessible for every nine PiVs exceeds the recommendation from European Commission to have at least one charge point for every ten PiV. The council has committed to exceed the norm because the number of PiVs registered is still relatively low. A large network of EV charge points will future proof our infrastructure and allow us to meet the increasing number of PiVs which is expected since the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned by the UK government in 2030.

The sub-target for 2% of total number of vehicles registered in North Ayrshire to be PiVs will be more challenging as there are factors which affect PiV ownership which are out with the council's control, such as income and prove of EVs. The 2% target was calculated using the Energy Saving Trust’s forecasting tool. This tool uses historical data including PiV uptake in the previous years to forecast the number of PiVs in the future, based on low, medium and high growth. The 2% target is based on a high growth scenario which the council aims to achieve through our EV Strategy.

In 2020, the Council installed 9 workplace charge points (13 sockets) and our target for the next 5 years is to install 7 charge points per year. Future workplace charge points installation are expected to be in more complex sites, incurring additional costs, however officers will continue to seek external funding opportunities to achieve this target.

This is North Ayrshire Council’s first Electric Vehicle strategy, developed to support the uptake of EVs for residents and business in North Ayrshire, improve the charge point network, and decarbonise the transport sector. EVs offer an extensive range of benefits to private owners and organisations, for example, reduced carbon emissions, improved air quality, and financial savings on fuel, vehicle tax and maintenance.

The popularity of EVs is growing at a considerable pace and North Ayrshire has seen a steady increase from 7 PiVs in 2013 to 217 PiVs licensed in 2020, based on statistics from the Department of Transport.

The predominant road vehicles are fuelled by petrol and diesel with 159 PiVs licensed equating to 0.23% of total number of vehicles. (Total count of 70,250 cars, light good vehicles and other vehicles registered in 2019). Statistics from the Department of Transport for total number of registered vehicles are published annually. This report uses the most up to date PiV data available to create a December 2019 baseline.

In addition to the cost of EVs and the limited driving range, there are many local factors which affect PiV ownership including:

• income levels
• local incentives such as free parking for EVs and free electricity from public charge points
• proportion of flats and terraced properties with no access to off-street parking. Without a driveway, residents are unable to install their own charge point, giving them no option to charge at home.

Based on analysis of a local authority study carried out by Transport Scotland in 2018, there is a positive correlation between the proportion of EVs and the number of publicly accessible charge points. This indicates scope for the council to introduce more EV charge points to facilitate a step change in the uptake of EVs.

The ChargePlace Scotland network has been developed by the Scottish Government to support local authorities and other organisations to install publicly available charge points. The national network comprises over 1,500 publicly available charge points, making it one of the most comprehensive networks in Europe. There are three main types of EV charge points - rapid, fast, and slow. Indicative times for charging an electric vehicle are detailed in Figure 2, below.

*Time dependant on the battery size (measured in kWh) and on-board charger built into the EV.

As of 31 December 2020, there is a total of 41 charge points in North Ayrshire, of which 24 (8 rapid and 16 fast charge points) are owned by the council.

EV ownership in North Ayrshire has increased over the last three years; this is reflected through the increased usage of the publicly accessible EV charge points. Figures 4 and 5 show the electricity usage and number of charge sessions from 2015 to 2020 for all the charge points owned by the council.

Total annual electricity usage has increased to thirty times more than the usage in 2015. The increasing popularity of existing charging infrastructure is evidenced, and it is the council’s objective to ensure there is adequate infrastructure to meet the demand and encourage increased use of EVs across the area.

A wide range of policies and plans support the wider adoption of EVs. This strategy acknowledges these and establishes a robust and long-term action plan to encourage a step change in the uptake of EVs within North Ayrshire. The EV Strategy will be used to inform the Local Transport Strategy which is due to be refreshed in 2021.

In September 2013, Transport Scotland published the Switched On Scotland Roadmap, which set out a long-term vision and strategic approach to advance widespread adoption of EVs. In order to achieve this vision, the Scottish Government launched the ‘Switched on Scotland Phase 2: An Action Plan for Growth’ in June 2017.

In November 2020, the UK government announced it will bring forward its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 to 2030. On 16 December 2020, the Scottish Government released an update to their 2018 to 2032 Climate Change Plan. Within this update, Scottish Government has committed to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 (bringing this ambition forward from the 2018 plan by 2 years). The 2019 to 2020 Programme for Government states that the Scottish Government will work with public bodies to phase out the need for any new petrol and diesel light commercial vehicles by 2025 and to create the conditions to phase out the need for all new petrol and diesel vehicles in Scotland’s public sector fleet by 2030.

The council has a number of plans and strategies that support the EV strategy and these include:

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) report on The Global Climate in 2015-2019 says that the global average temperature has increased by 1.1°C since the pre-industrial period. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) special report in October 2018 also confirmed that the world is already 1°C warmer than pre-industrial levels, and that an increase to 2°C would significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people. Globally, research suggests the world has until 2030 to reduce emissions before climate change impacts become irreversible. Action has been taken on a global scale with countries and local governments declaring climate emergencies. On 11 June 2019 North Ayrshire Council declared a Climate Emergency, committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. This target applies to both the council's estate, and North Ayrshire as a whole. The council must lead the way in:

• reducing emissions from buildings (domestic and non-domestic), transport and waste
• implementing methods to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

In Scotland, transport is responsible for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport contributing to 73 of these. EVs have substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional vehicles, even when taking into account the electricity source and the electricity used for battery production. The British Government’s key 2018 publication The Road to Zero estimated that in 2018 an EV car in the UK currently has total associated greenhouse gas emissions 66% lower than a petrol car and 60% lower than a diesel car. As the National Grid decarbonises, the carbon intensity of electricity generation will become cleaner at source and the emissions associated with EV use will also fall in parallel. The EV Strategy will encourage the EV adoption across North Ayrshire and in turn this will contribute to reducing emissions and help the Council to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

Council Plan 2019 to 2024. This sets the strategic direction for the council, including our mission in “Working together to improve well-being, prosperity and equity in North Ayrshire”. We aim to achieve through three strategic themes: “Inspiring Place”, “Aspiring Communities” and “A Council for the Future”.

One of the priority outcomes within the operational plan is – “North Ayrshire is well-connected with effective infrastructure” and there is an action to “develop and implement an Electric Vehicle Strategy, and work in partnership with government agencies to deliver further electric charging infrastructure throughout North Ayrshire.”

The council’s second Sustainability Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce carbon emissions in North Ayrshire by 40% by 2030 (based on a 2005 baseline year). Within the strategy, one of the work streams is Transport & Travel with an action to explore the potential for further EV charging infrastructure throughout North Ayrshire. The third ESCCS covering the period 2021-2023 will identify actions for North Ayrshire to achieve net-zero carbon status by 2030.

Effective management of parking and the development of alternative travel modes are central aspects within the development of economic and environmentally sustainable town centres. Within the parking strategy there is an action to promote sustainable modes of transport and to expand the EV charge point network.

The National Air Quality Strategy outlines a national framework for reducing hazards to health from air pollution in the UK. Local authorities are required to assess local air quality and publish an Air Quality Annual Progress Report. A major source of air pollutant is from diesel and petrol vehicles.

As of the 31 December 2020, the council has installed 24 publicly accessible EV charge points since 2014. The capital cost of these EV charge points has been grant funded by Transport Scotland, with the council providing staff resourcing to carry out the following duties:

• procurement of infrastructure
• project manage the installation process
• liaison with electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for grid connection
• management of the warranty and maintenance agreement with contractors
• fault monitoring and fault resolution
• engagement with other Council Services such as Roads, Lighting, Housing and Estates

Currently all EV charge points installed via the grant come with either a 3 or 5 year warranty and maintenance agreement. Once this has expired, the responsibility for maintenance falls to the Council and this includes:

• annual electrical inspection
• repairs to out of service charge points
• repairs due to vandalism and misuse

In July 2019, North Ayrshire Council successfully secured funding from Transport Scotland to commission the Energy Saving Trust’s EV feasibility report for Irvine. The in-depth study provides recommendations on the level of investment required to increase EV charge points for a range of user groups within the Irvine area. The study details the business case which considers potential revenue based on low, medium and high growth scenarios.

By December 2025, the council’s aspirational target is to have:

• one publicly accessible charge point for every nine PiVs (this target includes both Council owned and privately-owned charge points and is subject to funding)
• 2% of total number of vehicles registered in North Ayrshire to be PiVs
• 80 workplace charge sockets (44 workplace charge points with varying number of outlets)

To ensure that we meet our aspirational targets by December 2025, the progress should follow the forecast detail in Table 6 below (subject to funding):

The Council will review our progress annually as the licensed vehicles data is published once per year by the Department for Transport. The target number of charge points and number of PiVs will vary dependent on the total count of cars, light good vehicles and other vehicles registered in North Ayrshire each year. As we expand the charging network, we hope this will in turn increase EV ownership over the next five years. As a sub-target, the Council will compare the number of PiVs registered with the total number of vehicles registered in North Ayrshire. The December 2019 data set from the Department of Transport (which is the latest available) identifies the proportion of PiVs registered in North Ayrshire was 0.23 percent, with the average across all 32 Scottish local authorities being 0.54 percent. As of December 2020, the council has installed 9 workplace charge points (13 sockets) to support the decarbonisation of our fleet. The council will expand the network of workplace charge points and progress should follow the forecast detailed in Table 7 (subject to funding):

Every year, the council will report on the following performance indicators to measure progress:

• number of publicly accessible charge points in North Ayrshire with a target to have at least one charge point per nine PiVs in all years
• percentage of total number of vehicles registered in North Ayrshire to be PiVs. This trend is likely to differ from the above forecast data – for example uptake may be slow in 2021/2022 but there could exponential growth in 2024/25. The council’s sub target is to have 2% of total number of vehicles registered in North Ayrshire to be PiVs by December 2025.
• number of council owned workplace charge sockets with a target of 80 workplace charge sockets (44 workplace charge points with varying number of outlets)

North Ayrshire Council will continue to secure funding opportunities to support the move to electric vehicles. Some examples of the support available from the Scottish Government are as follows:

• Local Authority Installation Programme - up to 100% grant funding available for installation of publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure
• Switched on Fleet - full grant for 3 years' lease of a new Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV), or the difference in price between ULEV and a petrol and diesel comparison - available for replacement of a conventional vehicle in council owned fleet. Funding is also available for the installation of workplace EV charge points at office or depot premises.
• Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund - competition for up to 100% funding towards capital infrastructure projects, with a funding value of £1.5 to £2.5 million per project. The first round in 18/19 awarded £12.1m to five local authorities
• Low Carbon Travel and Transport Challenge Fund - funding under the European Regional Development Fund 2014 to 2020 Programme to facilitate the deliver of active travel and low carbon transport hubs, as well as paths

Within this EV Strategy, the council has set targets for the number of publicly accessible charge points, the number of workplace EV charge points and the percentage of PiVs registered in North Ayrshire. These ambitious targets directly support the Scottish Government’s commitment to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030. It is important to note that our targets are subject to funding. The council requires financial support from Central Government to continue the roll-out of public and workplace EV charging infrastructure across North Ayrshire.

In order to ensure a comprehensive and robust approach to developing the EV infrastructure, the following have been identified as priorities, with an Action Plan developed (Appendix 1) to ensure delivery:

• development of a network of strategically located EV charge points
• taking a co‐ordinated approach across the council services
• deployment of EV within the council’s fleet and pool car scheme
• raising awareness of the benefits of EVs to individuals and businesses
• Active Travel - encouraging wider e‐bike and e-cargo bike opportunities

There is a causality dilemma in the EV agenda: which comes first, EVs or the charge point infrastructure? A survey carried out amongst 220 participants through the Switched on Towns and Cities Feasibility study identified the largest barriers to adopting EV’s in the area were as follows:

• 43% stated that lack of charging infrastructure was the biggest barrier to EV adoption
• 32% believed that cost was the limiting factor
• 18% believed that there was insufficient vehicle journey range
• 7% felt that the choice of vehicles on the market was not wide enough

The result suggests that an improved local network of charging infrastructure would help improve local confidence in the technology's viability.

To develop a robust network of EV infrastructure, the council has proposed the following actions:

1.1 Every financial year, the council will apply for Local Authority Installation Programme grant funding from Transport Scotland to install more publicly accessible EV charge points across North Ayrshire. Every year, the council will review the number of PiVs licensed and apply for funding to allow North Ayrshire to have one charge point per nine PiVs. The sub target for 2% of total number of vehicles registered in North Ayrshire to be PiVs by December 2025 will be monitored and reviewed every year. The expectation is that by expanding the network of charging infrastructure, widespread adoption of PiVs will follow. Please refer to Table 6a for annual targets.

1.2 Create an evaluation methodology which will help the council to identify and map out potential charging infrastructure locations.

It is important that the best locations are selected and that we match these to the different types of charge points available (Rapid, Fast and Slow). A process is required for the identification of sites which considers user convenience like proximity to amenities and technical aspects like surface type, distance to grid connection and parking type. We will consider how EV charge points can be located strategically to encourage visitors to our towns and bring support to our local businesses. The Council will also identify opportunities to incorporate EV charging infrastructure alongside regeneration and town centre improvement projects.

1.3 Review the Switched on Town and Cities in-depth feasibility report prepared by the Energy Saving trust and apply for Switched on Towns and Cities Challenge Fund.

This report was commissioned in July 2019 and it provides recommendations on the level of investment required to increase EV charge points for a range of user groups within the Irvine area. The study details the business case which considers potential revenue based on low, medium and high growth scenarios. An application to the challenge fund will be made when round 2 is announced in due course.

1.4 Establish (i) a best practice benchmark for the number of EV charge points for the council's new build developments and (ii) a process for that EV charge points are included in the project brief for the council's new build developments.

The council will review and establish a best practice benchmark for the number of EV charge points for the Council’s new build developments e.g. schools, offices or housing developments – subject to funding. A process will be established to ensure that charge points are incorporated at new build stage and therefore, avoid retrofit at a later stage.

1.5 Introduce additional guidance for EV infrastructure to accompany the Local Development Plan for planning.

The additional guidance will ensure that charge points are considered as material consideration in the planning process. It will highlight how EV charge points in new developments can contribute to the Council’s aspirations for decarbonisation, particularly for domestic flat development where residents have no access to off street parking.

The EV strategy touches all directorates within the Council at both a strategic and operational level.

2.1 Self funding charging infrastructure - a proposal setting out the changing proposals to be presented to Cabinet for formal approval.

Since 2014, the council has provided free electricity from its charge points to EV users. The council anticipates that once the adoption of EV increases, the cost of the electricity used to charge a vehicle will be passed back to the user. To ensure that the council’s network of EV charge points remains robust and reliable, we will consider introducing a tariff and overstay fee to cover the cost of supplying electricity and cost of maintaining the facilities.

2.2 Review current portfolio of EV charge points and ensure infrastructure is maintained and fit for purpose.

Many EV drivers experience anxiety as a result of petrol and diesel vehicles blocking charge points or users not moving their EVs away even though they are fully charged. To overcome this, EV charging bays must be clearly marked and have the correct signage. Since 2017, all publicly accessible charge points installed have been marked green along with an EV logo. Clear signage is also required prior to the introduction of tariffs and overstay fees. The council’s portfolio of charge points will be reviewed and EV bays to be signed and lined appropriately, subject to funding.

2.3 Review current parking management policies - introduce an EV charging bay regulation order (TRO).

An EV charging bay Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) would prevent:

• EVs from overstaying at charge points
• EVs from parking in charging bays but not charging
• petrol and diesel vehicles from parking in charging bays

A TRO will be approved within 6 months of application and will allow us to enforce parking restrictions and help improve the EV user experience. The TRO will be enforced by Police Scotland until Decriminalised Parking Enforcement and parking charges are introduced by the council.

2.4 Procure an EV charge point installer for 2022 to2025

At present, the council has a contract with an installer for the installation of EV charge points. Procurement will need to be carried out when contract ends in March 2022.

2.5 Clarification of roles and responsibilities within the council.

The work related to EVs involves a number of service areas that have different roles and input as summarised in Table 8. As the council progresses further on the EV agenda, the roles and responsibilities will be reviewed and kept updated.

The 2019-2020 Programme for Government outlined Scottish Government’s commitment to phase out the need for new petrol or diesel cars in the public sector fleet by 2025 and for all other vehicles in the public sector fleet by 2030. The council’s vehicle fleet has long played an important and essential role in daily operational activities such as maintaining the public realm and our parks, undertaking enforcement or collecting waste. It is important the vehicles used by the council minimise harmful emissions, with an ambition to produce zero emissions.

The Corporate Transport Hub is responsible for the council’s fleet is made up of vehicles that are either leased or owned outright. Fleet turnover for owned vehicles is likely to be slower than those that are leased so as to ensure value for money is achieved over their lifespan. The current fleet includes a range of vehicles intended to serve varying purposes, meaning that some vehicles would be more suited to switching from conventional fuels to electric than others. Given the current average range limitations of EV batteries, council vehicles which currently travel less than 100 miles per day would have the best potential to switch to electric. Majority of the council's fleet is stored overnight on council-owned properties and therefore, to allow us to electrify these vehicles, we must install workplace charge points at our office and depot premises.

Fundamentally, we need to change the way we operate and deliver services, travel and use our fleet, to encourage green and clean technology and innovation, to promote behavioural change and active travel. Improving the energy efficiency of the fleet such as reducing mileage and the size of the fleet and encouraging the use of pool cars is leading to reductions in both emissions and costs. The council’s Car Club scheme was successfully launched in 2015/16 to reduce expenditure and carbon emissions associated with staff travel. Over 1200 members of staff have signed up to the scheme, with 275,868 miles driven in the low emissions pool cars in financial year 2019/20. Approximately 13% of the total mileage was carried out in EVs. The Car Club scheme has 27 low emission vehicles across 11 council office locations. The council’s aim is to expand its pool car fleet to reduce grey fleet business mileage, therefore there is scope to increase workplace charge points to incorporate more EVs. Table 9 shows a reduction in grey fleet business mileage as a result of the travel hierarchy and success of the Car Club scheme.

To allow the Council to decarbonise our fleet and introduce more fleet and pool EVs, the following actions are proposed:

3.1 Every financial year, the council will apply for Switched on Fleet funding from Energy Saving Trust to install more workplace EV charge points and introduce more EVs to the council's fleet.

In order to phase out the need for new petrol or diesel cars in the public sector fleet by 2025, the Council must ensure that dedicated workplace EV charge points are available to allow for this transition. The Council will carry out a review of the Council’s non-domestic buildings and fleet mileage data to identify opportunities to install workplace charge points. Please refer to Table 7 for annual targets.

3.2 Review the Switched on Fleet report prepared by the Energy Saving Trust and implement recommendations (where appropriate).

This report was commissioned in January 2019 and it provides recommendations for ULEV replacements within the council’s fleet – outlining the business case and potential cost and carbon savings.

3.3 Review the Sustainable Transport Review prepared by the Energy Saving Trust and implement recommendations (where appropriate),

This report was commissioned in July 2019 and it provides recommendations on fleet management.

3.4 Review the Grey Fleet Review prepared by Energy Saving Trust and implement recommendations (where appropriate).

This report was commissioned in September 2019 and it provides recommendations on how to reduce on grey fleet mileage.

The desire to purchase an EV stems from positive perceptions and a good experience of the technology. It is also important that we dispel the commonly held misconceptions that many people have about EVs.

To help encourage EV ownership, the Council intends to help improve the overall understanding on how EV ownership works through the following actions:

4.1 Update the council website to show EV charge point locations within North Ayrshire and signposts to funding and support available.

Officers will create a dedicated page on the council website to provide general information about EV charge points and a map to show what infrastructure is available.

4.2 Engage with North Ayrshire residents to identify EV charge point locations.

The Council website will be updated to include a dedicated email address and telephone number to allow residents to submit their EV charge point location suggestions as this will help determine which areas are showing a higher demand for charge points. Demand from residents is only one of the criteria as there are other factors to consider such as:

• alignment with local policies
• proximity to local facilities e.g. town centre, leisure facilities, markets, tourist attractions
• current parking conditions in the area
• the availability of an appropriate electric supply

4.3 Engagement with other local organisations to promote the free sustainable transport support available from the Energy Saving Trust.

The council will look to promote EVs to other organisations such as KA Leisure and local businesses through Team Ayrshire, so that both employees and employers are aware of the free support that is available to help them switch to electric.

For some people the experience of lockdown from COVID-19, showed that their lives could be improved through active travel, exercise, access to local or online services, working from or closer to home, and access to shared green spaces. The 2020-2021 Programme for Government outlined the Scottish Government’s support for the concept of “20 minute neighbourhoods” – enabling people to live, learn, and meet their daily needs within a 20 minute walk of their home. This concept will encourage people to walk and cycle more, but shared transport is also a key part of active travel and EVs will also help reduce vehicle emissions compared to petrol and diesel alternatives.

A key element of the EV Strategy is to improve staff health and wellbeing by introducing a travel hierarchy to encourage employees to be physically active by replacing car journeys with cycling and walking where appropriate. As part of the sustainable transport journey, e-bikes and e-cargo bikes are examples of active travel options which can help the council reduce carbon emissions.

Travel Smart is the council’s behaviour change project to promote modal shift to active and sustainable travel. It delivers a range of activities including:

• bike maintenance sessions
• walking challenges
• instructor-led cycle events
• the promotion of active and sustainable travel to and from work
• Schools and Workplaces Active Travel Programme

The Travel Smart team have engaged with a number of local employers including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, KA Leisure, EDF Energy, J and D Pierce, GSK and Booth Welsh - supporting 8 local businesses to become Cycle Friendly Employers.

The Irvine Active Travel Hub and Closed Loop Facility was officially opened on 25 June 2019 and this project received £476,000 support from European Regional Development Funds under Transport Scotland’s Low Carbon Travel and Transport Challenge Fund. The funding has been used to establish a bike library and purchase and support cycle parking; public cycle pumps, public cycle tools and an e- bike charging station.

Furthermore, funding from both Sustrans and the Energy Saving Trust has allowed the Council to purchase nine e-bikes and one tandem. A pool bike scheme which includes e-bikes has been developed to encourage staff to cycle to meetings instead of taking the car. The bikes are available at evenings and weekends to encourage cycling and build confidence. To encourage wider e‐bike and e-cargo bike opportunities, the council will undertake the following actions:

5.1 Identify opportunities within the council and with local businesses to encourage the wider roll our and piloting to e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.

A number of Active Travel and transport projects have been approved by the council after a series of successful funding bids. These include infrastructure and behaviour change projects which encourage modes of transport such as walking and cycling.

5.2 Installation of EV charge points at the Ardrossan Low Carbon Hub.

In September 2020, the Council was awarded funding from Round 3 Low Carbon Travel and Transport Challenge Fund for the Ardrossan Low Carbon Hub. This will include EV charge points (two rapid and two fast charge points for a total of eight bays) and electric bike charging stations, cycle parking, active travel information and signage, resting points and bike maintenance facilities. In addition to this project, the council will continue to identify opportunities to incorporate EV charging infrastructure alongside regeneration and active travel hub projects.

The EV Strategy covers 2021 - 2025 and the EV working group will be responsible for the monitoring and reporting on progress of the EV Action Plan. To ensure a consistent and co‐ordinated approach across Council services, an internal EV Working Group has been set up. The EV working group is led by the Corporate Sustainability Team, bringing together officers from Regeneration, Active Travel & Transport and the Corporate Transport Hub. Additional members from Roads, Housing, Planning, Licensing, Building Services and Property Management & Investment will be identified. The purpose of the EV working group is to:

• provide a strategic overview to progress the EV agenda
• deliver the EV action plan and report on progress
• ensure continued relevance of the strategy and allow for earlier revision of the strategy if deemed appropriate

The group will provide regular progress updates on the delivery of the action plan through established performance reporting frameworks.