Those who may be sceptical or even nervous about Electric Vehicles and the range in which EV’s will take them before they need to re-charge should take some reassurance from this morning’s announcement by the Government to invest €20million to fund the rollout of high-powered chargers across ESB’s e-cars network. 

More than 50 high power charging hubs are being funded on motorway and national road sites. These hubs will be able to charge between two and eight vehicles simultaneously and can provide up to 100 km of electric driving range in as little as six minutes. 

In addition to the high-power charging hubs, up to 50 locations will also see Standard 22kW AC chargers upgraded to 50kW DC fast chargers, providing additional fast charging capacity around the country.

This network will be able to facilitate the public charging requirements of hundreds of thousands of vehicles.

The announcement was made today (Friday 5th April) by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D. 

Minster Bruton said, “We are funding high powered charging hubs on motorways and national roads across the country, to tackle ‘range anxiety’ and encourage drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. We are stepping up our response to climate change across the board and this government is determined to take the lead and put in place the necessary infrastructure to make it easier for people to play their part.”

Minister Bruton said, “This investment gives people confidence that they can make the switch. Now is the time. As well as providing a network of chargers, the government also offer a number of financial supports to those thinking of changing their vehicle.”

ESB e-cars was established in 2010 by ESB to roll out the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles across Ireland and to support the introduction and demand for electric vehicles nationally. ESB e-cars operates and maintains 1,100 public charge points across the island of Ireland. These are available for electric vehicle (EV) drivers to re-charge their vehicles and enable longer journeys across the country.

This ESB project is one of seven projects approved by Minister Bruton for funding under the Climate Action Fund. Final approval of funding from the Climate Action Fund is subject to successful completion of the validation stage which is currently underway.

Jerry O’Sullivan, Deputy Chief Executive of ESB, said, “A key part of our Brighter Future strategy is enabling the electrification of transport, with this investment and support from the Government’s Climate Action Fund critical to encouraging people to make the transition to EVs. Over the last nine years we have developed and maintained a comprehensive EV charging network and the availability of the high-power charging hubs will help eliminate ‘range anxiety’ and enables seamless EV travel across the island of Ireland. This, in turn, will support the Government’s ambition to have more than 500,000 EVs on Irish roads by 2030.” This initiative is 50% financed by the Government’s Climate Action Fund with the remainder funded by ESB. ESB e-cars is currently identifying the most appropriate locations on motorways and national road networks. The sites will be identified using the latest software mapping techniques, taking account of information on current charge point usage, traffic volume, accessibility, amenities and grid capacity at the sites.

Additional information 

In addition to the public changing network, the Government provides the following incentives to support the uptake of electric vehicles:

Purchase grant of up to €5,000 for electric vehicles (including battery electric vehicles and for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles)

Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) relief of up to €5,000 for battery electric vehicles and up to €2,500 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Benefit-in-Kind relief for battery electric vehicles (up to a maximum value of €50,000)

A grant of up to €600 towards the cost of the installation of a domestic charge point for purchasers of new and second-hand electric vehicles;

Grants of up to €7,000 for electric vehicles in the taxi/hackney/limousine sector

Accelerated Capital Allowances for businesses to support investment in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure

Low rate of annual motor tax (€120 per annum) for battery electric vehicles A discount on tolls of 50% for battery electric vehicles and 25% for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles up to a maximum amount of €500 per year (with greater reductions off-peak on the M50)