Plan approved to add more charging stations for electric cars in Fife

The petrol station operator has been granted planning approval for two electric vehicle (EV) rapid charging stations at its Bankhead Park filling station.

It means battery-powered motors can get a quick top-up just like a petrol or diesel car – with the chargers likely to deliver enough juice for 100 miles in the time it takes to get a coffee.

BP submitted its application submitted last autumn, in which it detailed how the chargers would replace an air and water station beside the shop.

The air and water will move to another part of the forecourt – and BP will also make some small changes to the car park and walkway to make it more accessible for people with disabilities.

Specifications for the chargers were not included with the application, but BP says it is installing Pulse150 units that operate at 150 kW on its forecourts. These can charge the newest models of electric cars from empty to 80% full in 20 minutes.

Fife Council case officer Kristie Hung approved the development with a single condition relating to ground contamination, noting its contribution to Fife’s low carbon targets.

BP acquired Chargemaster, a company that operates a UK-wide network of EV chargers, in 2018, rebranding it as BP Pulse at the end of 2020.

The firm estimates that 12 million electric cars will be on the roads by 2040.

The information in this story came from a public notice published in this newspaper. You can read more public notices in our classified section today.