The Scottish Government has made 2032 a target for ending the production of diesel and petrol vehicles. It also aims to end the use of petrol and diesel vehicles in the public sector by 2030.
A lot of money is being invested by the Scottish Government to encourage the uptake of EVs.
MSPs who are members of the Economy and Energy Committee of the Scottish Parliament will be visiting Orkney on Monday 17th of February, as part of their inquiry into EVs and local energy production.
Gordon Lindhurst MSP, Committee Convener, said:
“While the areas the Committee are looking at are distinct in their own nature, they are all very much linked to one another in relation to decarbonising the Scottish economy.
“The Scottish Government made key pledges in their Programme for Government on the increased use of electric vehicles, including the phasing out of petrol and diesel cars by 2032. It is important to see, in practical terms, how this will be achieved and what major changes in infrastructure are needed.”
“I look forward to seeing the views from across Scotland about how best we as a nation can decarbonise the energy sector and produce a greener future.”
MSPs Andy Wightman, Jamie Halcro-Johnston and Gordon MacDonald will be visiting those involved with the ReFLEX project and new housing at Grainbank, Kirkwall.
Here is some more information about those developments which we have published in The Orkney News previously.
The politicians will also be meeting up with members of the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF).

(Left)Tony Archer(Scottish Manager of Co-wheels car club) (right) Robert Lesley(Energy Officer of Orkney Housing Association Ltd) by Kenny Armet
Orkney has a very high rate of EV car ownership and last year the Co-Wheels Car Club had 3 cars in the islands with a hiring discount for Orkney Housing Association residents. EV Car Clubs Transforming Personal Transport
Orkney also has the ‘problem’ of excess renewable electricity and looked at ways of utilising this by the production of hydrogen – The BIG HIT project. You can see the refuelling station for the OIC vans which use this at Hatston. Orkney Hydrogen Strategy
The Economy and Energy Committee will be:
- Reviewing the influences on energy demand in Scotland
- Examining how that demand may be met, and assessing the feasibility and security of the range of possible options
- Taking account of the environmental imperative to reduce carbon emissions and associated political commitments
- Considering the moral and ethical implications of the various options open to Scotland;How and where energy resources are developed, the way in which we use them
- The level of responsibility we have as a nation for the energy we consume.
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