Search: Edinburgh

Roadchef has opened six new EV charging bays at its Hamilton Services site on the M74 in South Lanarkshire, served by three ultra-rapid chargers offering up to 360kW via CCS connectors. The location sits on a key corridor linking Glasgow, Edinburgh and northern England, where the UK's rapid and ultra-rapid charger network has grown 16 per cent over the past year. The 24/7 site aims to meet rising demand for high-power charging on one of Scotland's busiest motorway routes.

Why it matters: The rollout adds material ultra-rapid capacity on a strategic Scottish trunk route, signalling continued MSA investment in high-power infrastructure. Procurement teams and charge-point operators will note the 360kW specification and the 16 per cent annual network growth figure as benchmarks for corridor planning.

A Lothian Buses electric service 24 vehicle stopped at a busy Edinburgh junction between Lauder Road and Grange Loan, remaining stationary from approximately 4pm to at least 6pm while drivers navigated around it. Lothian introduced its first fully electric buses in 2017 and added electric double deckers in 2024. The operator has been approached for comment on the incident.

Why it matters: Public breakdowns of electric buses can influence procurement confidence and highlight the operational resilience questions that fleet managers and local authorities must address when transitioning to zero emission fleets.

Source EV has launched a new charging hub at Edinburgh Business Park featuring ten 150 kW ultra rapid chargers, according to Zapmap on 25 June 2026. The site is positioned near food and coffee outlets to serve tenants, workers and visitors at the business park.

Why it matters: The deployment adds ten high power chargers in a workplace and visitor destination, illustrating the shift toward amenity led charging hubs that combine speed with dwell time facilities. CPOs and site hosts will note the co location strategy with retail as a model for mixed use developments.

Edinburgh has begun construction on a new electric distribution substation, according to Local News Digital. The project marks progress in the city's grid infrastructure expansion, though no capacity figures or completion timeline were disclosed in the available report.

Why it matters: Upgraded distribution substations are essential for supporting the increased load from public and depot EV charging networks. Grid reinforcement projects like this can reduce connection delays and costs for charge point operators planning rollouts in Edinburgh.

Amplify EV has secured a contract to operate chargepoints in Edinburgh, according to TransportXtra. The award covers operations and maintenance of the city's public charging infrastructure, though the contract value and site count were not disclosed in the available excerpt.

Why it matters: The win positions Amplify EV as the operational partner for Scotland's capital, a key reference site for CPOs bidding on other Scottish local authority contracts. Edinburgh's network will serve as a testbed for service delivery standards that may influence future municipal procurement specifications.

Edinburgh based energy storage company Gravitricity has gone into administration, according to Energy Voice. The firm, which developed gravity based storage technology using suspended weights in mine shafts, is now seeking a buyer through administrators. No financial figures or creditor details were disclosed in the report.

Why it matters: The collapse highlights funding risks for novel storage technologies that compete with battery systems in the EV charging infrastructure stack. Gravitricity's technology was positioned as grid scale storage that could support renewable energy and charging networks, so its failure may prompt CPOs and developers to reassess reliance on emerging storage solutions versus proven lithium ion systems.

Scottish operator Ember has started its E1 route, running hourly electric buses between Aberdeen city centre and Edinburgh Airport seven days a week. The three and a half hour service stops at Dundee, Brechin, Forfar, Bridge of Earn and Kinross, with single fares at £17.65 and returns at £35.30. The launch follows Ember's October expansion of electric bus routes in Scotland, including a Glasgow to Inverness service.

Why it matters: The rollout demonstrates growing commercial viability of long distance electric bus operations in Scotland, creating charging infrastructure demand along intercity corridors. Operators planning depot or en route charging for similar services can benchmark Ember's route economics and technical deployment model.

A bus burst into flames in central Edinburgh, according to BBC reporting. No further details on casualties, the bus operator, or whether the vehicle was electric have been disclosed in the available excerpt.

Why it matters: Any bus fire in a major UK city draws scrutiny to fleet safety standards, particularly as operators accelerate zero emission transitions. If the vehicle proves to be electric, the incident will inform risk assessments and insurance models for depot charging infrastructure and battery technology procurement.