Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 April 2024
132. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport for an update on additional electric charging infrastructure for targeted growth in electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18429/24]
View answerThe Government, through Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), is investing €100 million between 2023-2025 in EV infrastructure as we look to accelerate the delivery of EV charging across our national road network and local and regional networks.
Home charging is still and will be the primary charging method for most Irish EV owners given the Irish landscape, with between 80-90% of EV owners expected to charge at home. However, there is also a need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible.
Since late 2022 the number of publicly available charge points has increased from 1,700 in September 2022 to 2,400. In order to achieve our targets, it is expected that we will require between 3,200 – 6,210 public chargers nationally depending on need.
The EV Charging infrastructure Strategy 2022-2025 sets out the government’s ambition regarding the delivery of a public EV charging network to support up to 195,000 electric cars and vans by the middle of the decade. Arising from this strategy, the National En-Route EV Charging Network Plan, due to be published in May 2024, makes provision for banks of EV chargers every 60 KM on the TEN-T motorway and national primary road network – which will support the connectivity of remote areas. This plan also includes provision of high-power charge points every 30KM on the national secondary roads by 2025.
Next month, we will also launch a public consultation on the Regional and Local Plan and roll out of EV Infrastructure for destination and neighbourhood locations through Local Authorities. This is a critical step in our EV transition that will see us move from the current business led model to a planned approach which leverages private funding and resourcing while allowing Government funding to flow to the areas it is needed.
To facilitate this, ZEVI have been engaging extensively with Local Authorities and agreed in principle a regional set up to deliver EV Infrastructure Strategies and Implementation Plans which will result in a planned and phased roll out of infrastructure over the next 5 years.
A crucial element of this approach is to ensure we deliver a cohesive, resilient network and adequate planning is essential to ensure any infrastructure delivered is installed in the right location for the right purpose to meet user needs.
