2.5. Charging locations: mini case studies

Promenade, Musselburgh, East Lothian

This location in Musselburgh features six fast 7kW sockets in a line on a residential street. The chargepoints are situated on the opposite side of the road from any buildings, on a grassed kerbside area. This location has been successful as parking on this side of the road is not in high demand. Therefore, the council did not need to set up a dedicated traffic regulation order (TRO) or designate the spaces as electric vehicle only bays. There is also no risk of blocking walkways.

This installation was part of the Agile Streets project. You can read more about this on our case study map here.

Prestonpans community centre, East Lothian

This installation demonstrates an alternative to the Musselburgh example for providing public fast charging in East Lothian. It instead focuses on a car park in the community of Prestonpans. Four fast 7kW sockets are available, and these are a short walk away from residences without off-street parking.

Fettes avenue, Edinburgh

Fettes avenue in Edinburgh is wide enough to have bay parking on both sides of the street. An amendment to the council’s planning regulations enabled four 50kW DC chargers to be installed directly on the highway, rather than on the pavement. As such, the units are not causing an obstruction to pavement users. These chargers can expect a mix of consumers, including residents who live a short drive away as well as employees and visitors to nearby businesses and educational institutions. These types of installations are rare but may be suitable for other locations with wide avenues.

Princes Street, Dundee

This charging hub in Dundee was opened with much excitement from locals in the summer of 2018. It features seven 50kW rapid chargers and two 22kW dual charge points, with the power supported by solar and battery storage.
The site was previously a petrol station and has been redeveloped. To an extent, it follows the forecourt model of drivers making a short, dedicated trip to refuel. Most of the charging provision focuses on the rapid level, with the remainder being more suitable for longer stays.

Castleview low carbon transport hub, Stirling

This sizeable charging hub on the outskirts of Stirling was opened in summer 2021. It contains six 50kW rapid chargers, 18 x 22kW sockets and 40 x 7kW sockets. Like Princes Street in Dundee, it also has solar and battery storage incorporated.
The use case for this hub is quite different, however, with it being a “Park and Choose” location, connecting car drivers to active travel and public transport options to complete their final journey miles into the city. Drivers using it in this way are more likely to make use of the fast charge points, recharging their vehicles over a number of hours. The development is also part of the “electric A9” and so the rapid chargers can support top-ups for long-distance journeys on this popular route connecting central Scotland to the North.