AC – alternating current (electricity).
Accessibility – being able to physically access and make use of charging infrastructure.
Agreed supply capacity or available capacity – an agreed maximum amount of electricity that a local distribution network operator is required to make available to your supply at any time (measured in kVA). There is only a charge for this on half-hourly metered supplies.
BEV (battery electric vehicle) – a vehicle driven solely by a battery powered electric motor(s).
Capacity charges – charges by the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for reserving capacity on the electricity network for the needs of a site
Carbon footprint – total CO2e greenhouse gases emitted over the period of a year by an organisation/vehicle.
CAZ (clean air zones) – areas in towns and cities that restrict access to vehicles with emissions over a certain threshold to improve air quality. Restrictions vary in different cities, with vehicle access usually granted by paying a fee or restricted to certain times of day (very similar to low emission zones).
Chargepoint/ Charger/ EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) – the dedicated electrical hardware required to recharge the battery onboard an EV. Starting from the initial chargepoint connection to the site power supply and leading right through to the final connector plugged into the electric vehicle.
CPS (ChargePlace Scotland) – a Scotland-wide network of public charging infrastructure.
CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) – a standardised method of measuring a carbon footprint. Expresses the impact of different greenhouse gases in terms of the equivalent quantity of CO2 emitted to create the same amount of warming.
DC – direct current (electricity).
DNO (Distribution Network Operator) – the owner and operator of power lines and infrastructure in an area’s electricity transmission network.
DSO (Distribution System Operator) – DNOs are shifting towards this term with increasing network complexity and digitalisation.
Dynamic load management – software based solution designed for managing the charging of multiple vehicles simultaneously.
eMSP (e-Mobility Service Provider) – any organisation that offers EV charging services to drivers.
Fast charging – typically, a chargepoint delivering AC electricity to an EV at a rate between 7.4kW and 22kW.
GHG (greenhouse gas) – gases in the atmosphere responsible for reflecting solar radiation back towards the Earth’s surface. Higher levels of greenhouse gases are responsible for atmospheric warming. Common Greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3).
GIS (Geographic information systems) – GIS applications are used to capture and analyse spatial and geographic data.
HDVs (heavy duty vehicles) – freight vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes (trucks) or passenger transport vehicles of more than 8 seats (buses and coaches).
HITRANS (The Highlands and Islands Transport partnership) – the statutory regional transport partnership covering Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Orkney, Highland, Moray and most of the Argyll and Bute area.
ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle – a vehicle powered by a diesel or petrol engine.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator) – a quantitative measure to evaluate success in meeting specific targets.
kW (kilowatt) – unit of power. Used to define charging speeds from chargepoints.
kWh (kilowatt-hour) – unit of energy. 1kWh is the amount of energy delivered at a power of 1kW in 1 hour. Used to determine energy bills and to define battery sizes.
LCTT (Low Carbon Travel and Transport challenge fund) – a fund providing investment to deliver active travel, low carbon transport hubs and paths.
LCV (light commercial vehicle) – vans with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes.
LEZ (Low Emission Zone) – areas in towns and cities that restrict access to vehicles with emissions over a certain threshold to improve air quality. Restrictions vary in different cities, with vehicle access usually granted by paying a fee or restricted to certain times of day.
MaaS (Mobility as a Service) – a digital service that allows users to manage all components of a journey in one joint platform.
OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) – a protocol that facilitates communication between charge points and the wider charging network.
OZEV – Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.
Particulate matter (PM) – fine particles suspended in the air, also known as aerosols. These can be natural, like pollen, or manmade such as soot. Inhaling some types of PM can be damaging to health.
PHEV (plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle) – a vehicle with two separate drive trains enabling it to be driven by either its battery-powered electric motor, its petrol/diesel engine, or a combination of both.
Power factor – an expression of efficiency of the transfer of energy. It is usually expressed as a percentage – the lower the percentage, the less efficient the power usage.
PV (photovoltaics) – materials used in solar panels to convert light into electricity.
Rapid charging – typically on the public network, a charger delivering DC electricity to an EV at a rate of 50kW, or a chargepoint delivering AC electricity at a rate of 43kW.
SEStran (The South-East Scotland transport partnership) – the statutory regional transport partnership covering Fife, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Edinburgh. Scottish Borders, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.
SLA (Service Level Agreement) – an agreement between service provider and customer as to the expected quality and responsibility of a service that will be delivered under contract.
Slow charging – typically, a chargepoint delivering AC electricity to an EV at a rate below 7.4kW.
Smart charging – a charging system where vehicle and chargepoint share a data connection allowing monitoring and management information to be shared. This enables demand side response, timed charging, load balancing and dynamic load management. Smart functionality is mandatory on private chargepoints in Great Britain.
SMR – service maintenance & repair.
SPEN (Scottish Power Energy Networks) – the DNO responsible within the general central belt and southern areas of Scotland.
SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks) – the DNO responsible within general northern areas of Scotland.
State of charge (SoC) – the level of charge of a battery. A battery with a SoC of 100% would be said to be fully charged.
SUVs (sport utility vehicles) – larger vehicles, traditionally for multipurpose off-road use, but have recently become popular for all uses, including in an urban setting.
TACTRAN (The Tayside and Central Regional Transport partnership) – the statutory regional transport partnership covering Angus, Dundee City, Perth & Kinross and Stirling.
TCO – total cost of ownership.
TRO – traffic regulation order.
Ultra-rapid charging – typically, a charger delivering DC electricity to an electric vehicle at a rate above 100kW, and up to 360kW. Sometimes referred to as high powered charging.
Usage level – For the purposes of this report, the energy delivered by charging infrastructure at or over a given time, as a percentage of that charging infrastructure’s total capacity at or over the same given time. This may be for specific charge points, or all chargepoints, on the network in question.
ZetTrans (The Shetland Islands Transport partnership) – the statutory regional transport partnership for the Shetland Islands.
