A RENFREWSHIRE construction firm is diversifying into the electric vehicles market.

Linwood-based City Gate Construction (CGC) has launched a new division to specialise in the installation of electric vehicle charging points.

The company was founded in 2003 and operates across the UK from six offices, including London, Preston, Ayr and Batley in West Yorkshire. It employs around 150 staff across eight divisions including refurbishment, new build, steel, timber preservation, roofing and rail and civils.

Leo Reilly, managing director of CGC, said the business would tap into rapidly-rising demand across the UK for charging points.

“This is a hugely-significant development for the business as we buck the trend of economic gloom,” Mr Reilly said. “This service is a natural fit for our existing work as we offer a one-stop shop with our engineers, construction staff and electricians who can deliver the entire job.”

CGC’s construction clients include Renfrewshire Council and South Ayrshire Council. Recent project wins include the restoration of a 111-year-old listed steel bridge in Cheshire, Winnington Swing Bridge in Northwich, for CGC’s rail infrastructure business, CGC Rail.

Newly manufactured traditional petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned from sale in the UK from 2030.

New ‘hybrids’, which are partially electrically powered, will be given a stay of execution until 2035, on the condition they are capable of covering a ‘significant distance’ in zero-emission mode – a term which the UK Government has yet to define. New plug-in hybrids will remain in showrooms for a further five years, before being outlawed in 2035.

The Scottish Government has invested more than £32 million to support electric vehicle infrastructure since 2011. ChargePlace Scotland, Scotland’s national electric vehicle charging network, said it had more than 1,500 public electric vehicle charge points.