HITRANS works with ScottishPower to deliver Highland EV network

HITRANS, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, has appointed energy company ScottishPower to support the roll-out of electric vehicles across the region.

ScottishPower will manage the wider EV network across Argyll and Bute, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland. 

The contract follows the installation of 23 new rapid charging stations on behalf of HITRANS last year.

ScottishPower will take on the roles of mapping, payment provider, charge point management system and driver helpline at over 120 EV charging points as the publicly funded Charge Point Scotland (CPS) contract comes to an end.

It will also bring an enhanced level of service to help HITRANS and local councils build a more reliable and customer-focused network, particularly in the more rural and island areas.

Additional benefits include flexible tariff structures, real-time monitoring, automated fault resolution, and charger sharing capabilities.

Currently, these will apply across:

• 37 council-owned public EV chargers in Argyll and Bute (population: 87,810; annual visitors: 461,000)
• 29 in the Western Isles (population: 26,720; annual visitors: 219,000)
• 30 in Orkney (population: 22,270; annual visitors: 192,000)
• 27 in Shetland (population: 22,900; annual visitors: 80,000).

Local councils will retain control over tariff setting and revenue collection, while benefiting from ScottishPower’s expertise in energy generation, distribution, and innovation.

Future developments under consideration by HITRANS in discussion with ScottishPower include integrating locally generated renewable energy and deploying battery storage technologies to enhance network resilience.

Approximately 60 chargers will migrate to ScottishPower’s network this winter, with a further 60 to be replaced and migrated in early 2026. Councils also have the option to transition their fleet chargers under the same contract.

Chris Carberry, ScottishPower’s strategic development director, said: “We are delighted to be working with HITRANS to help facilitate a sustainable transition to electric vehicles across the region. We know that rural areas often face more challenges when it comes to accessing charging infrastructure, and we are committed to working with HITRANS to improve this and support wider public access to rapid charging for their vehicles as we all move towards a Net Zero future.”

Gemma Robinson, EV infrastructure project manager for HITRANS, said: “Scottish Power submitted a very high-quality bid for this contract and we are looking forward to working with their smart mobility team again on new objectives, having already successfully delivered a project together.”