In a depressing survey of electric car use published this week, the most significant statistic was that only 1.4 per cent of motorists in Scotland currently drive fully electric vehicles.

To meet international climate goals of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, EVs need to constitute between 75% and 95% of global passenger vehicle sales by 2030.

On this issue, and many others, Norway is the world’s most progressive nation, with 20.12% of drivers there now owning electric cars. The UK only just makes the top 10 in Europe, with a rate of 1.93%, with Scotland even further behind.

While cost remains an issue, a stubborn block on more drivers making the switch to EVs is the lack of accessibility to, and reliability of, the nation’s charging network, according to the latest Consumer Scotland survey.

Almost 40% of EV users said they struggled to find available charging points, while the same number found EV running costs higher than anticipated, sometimes exceeding petrol or diesel expenses. Nearly half of respondents reported public charging points being out of order.

The survey also revealed a discrepancy between advertised vehicle range and real-world battery performance, causing concern among drivers.

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As one of the 1.4%, I can sympathise with the frustrations felt by many drivers of EVs. When I have spoken or written about this issue in the past, I have been heckled by the same voices, droning into the........

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