New electric vehicle charging points have been installed in Inverclyde as part of an £85,000 project

The council has plugged the gap in charging provision with points at Greenock's Station Avenue and Battery Park car park and at Willison’s Lane in Port Glasgow.

Councillor Michael McCormick, convener of the environment and regeneration committee, unveiled the new power points in the run up to Climate Week 2020, which started on Monday.

Cllr McCormick said: “The usage of electric vehicles has really taken off in recent years and Inverclyde Council has been at the forefront of the green transport revolution.

"Almost two-thirds of the council’s car and van fleet is now powered by electricity.

“These points will support the council fleet and are also available to members of the public to use.

“They complement and enhance the existing electric vehicle charging points dotted across Inverclyde, including just along the road in Cathcart Street here in Greenock town centre.”

Each site has a twin 22kW charger and a twin 7kW charger across four parking bays per location.

The project, part of the local authority's commitment to tackling climate change, was funded by the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland.

The council has been on a drive to bring zero-emission vehicles into its fleet since 2011, when the first four were introduced.

Following the success of an initial five-year trial period, more ‘green’ modes of transport have been rolled out as the local authority pursues the Scottish Government target to phase out the purchase of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.

The council now has 30 electric vehicles in operation, representing 61 per cent of its car and small van fleet, helped by £140k of funding from Transport Scotland over the last three years - with a further £70k committed in the current 2020/21 financial period.

It is anticipated that electric vehicles will represent over 80 per cent of the local authority’s fleet of within the next two years.