NORTH Lanarkshire Council’s fleet department has awarded FOR EV a tender to support its transition to an electric fleet.
The project, located at the local authority’s Old Edinburgh Road site in Bellshill, is said to be the first in Scotland to leverage private sector capital for fleet charging infrastructure on a service model, without any upfront capital cost to the council.
The initiative is being delivered through FOR EV’s ‘Charging-as-a-Service’ model, a solution designed specifically for fleet operators. The Bellshill site will feature six DC charging bays, providing infrastructure to support North Lanarkshire Council’s journey towards a zero-emission fleet.
The site can also support other registered public sector fleets with access to rapid charging in proximity to Scotland’s major motorway network.
A foundation of this project is its financing model, which has been achieved without government funding. This approach has been described as reinforcing the potential for private sector investment to independently drive the rapid expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with North Lanarkshire Council on this transformative project,” said Lindsay Yeoman, head of sales at FOR EV. “Our Charging-as-a-Service model is proving that the transition to electric fleets can be achieved efficiently and cost-effectively, without relying on public funds. This project sets a new precedent for how local authorities can embrace electrification, and we believe it will serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives across the UK.”
John McElhinney, fleet business manager at North Lanarkshire Council, added, “Across our fleet, we are moving to electric vehicles and installing more charging points to support the transition to electric vehicles. The new facility at our Bellshill depot, delivered by FOR EV, is a significant and innovative development in the council’s strategy to achieve net zero.”
FOR EV is supported by funding from The Scottish National Investment Bank.
