TARIFFS for charging electric vehicles in Dundee are set to increase from next month, in the wake of rising energy costs.
And to balance availability between fast and rapid chargers, and to accommodate the higher cost of providing rapid chargers, two different rates will be introduced from February 1. Connection charges will remain unchanged.
The new tariffs will be 20p per kWh for fast chargers (up to 22kW) and 25p per kWh for rapid chargers (≥43kW AC or 50kW DC).
When charges were introduced in the city in 2019, it was agreed that the residents’ discounted tariff would move to a cost recovery rate when Scottish Government subsidies ended. From 1 April 2022 a discounted resident tariff of 15p per kWh will apply to fast chargers.
The new resident tariff remains lower than the charge for business users and non-residents, and an average 12kWh charging session will cost £2.18 for a Dundee resident on a fast charger and £3.38 on a rapid charger.
From April 1, car parking rates for EVs in all Dundee car parks will revert to the normal rate.
To manage turnover in occupation of charging bays, known in the EV community as “ICEing”, a £10 overstay penalty charge will apply if charge time exceeds 70 minutes on a rapid charger, or 190 minutes on a fast charger. The overstay fee will not apply at multi-storey car parks where EV charging capacity associated with longer duration visits can be accommodated.
Despite the increases it still costs less to charge an EV in Dundee than the average Scottish local authority cost.
EV owners in Dundee registered with the council will be contacted direct to inform them of the changes.
Dundee is recognised world-wide as a leading city in the introduction and support of electric vehicles and the council fleet runs to more than 150 EVs (the most of any UK local authority).
Charging infrastructure in the city has continued to grow since it was first introduced in 2011 and there are now 253 charging points.
In 2019, in a UK-first, a solar powered charging hub, which has 20 charging bays, and an innovative battery storage system was opened. A central system controls the charging points, and dynamic load management technology shifts the supply of energy depending how many vehicles are charging.
Dundee now has three charging hubs with this system in place, with a fourth scheduled to be introduced later this year.
