There are about 41,000 electric cars (EV) on Irish roads. Up to September 2021 more than 14% of all new car sales were either electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. So, it is fair to say we are beginning to embrace this new clean, green mode of transport with enthusiasm in Ireland.
This is a good thing because under the government's climate action plan the goal is to introduce 950,000 electric cars onto Irish roads by 2030. This is roughly one third of the cars that are currently on the road.
Ireland is particularly well suited for EV use:
- We are a relatively small island, so most journeys are within the range of electric car batteries.
- There is good government support for buying an electric car in the form of grants and tax breaks.
- Our mild climate enables electric car batteries to perform efficiently
- High rates of home ownership means many of us can install home charging points…more on that later.
If you are considering an EV you may have questions about the electric vehicle car charging network:
- How many chargers are there?
- How do you find out where they are located?
- Should you have an EV charger installed at home?
These are all valid questions soon to be EV owners have about the practicalities of driving an electric car.
How many vehicle charging stations are there in Ireland?
The good news is there is a relatively comprehensive network of public vehicle charging stations in Ireland. At the moment the ESB has 1,350 charging stations on the island of Ireland.
About 1,000 of these are in the Republic. There are an additional 400 charge points run by private operators. There are plans to provide more multi-car charge points as part of the climate action plan however the feeling is there may not be enough to meet demand if one third or more of cars on the road are electric.
Already, the coveted fast charge points on the motorway network, that allow EV drivers to get an 80% charge in half an hour, have queues and wait times during busy periods. Still, the pressure will be on all stakeholders to ramp up car charging facilities in the coming years.
How to find electric vehicle charging stations in Ireland?
At the moment there is no fully comprehensive source of all EV charge points in Ireland. The ESB Connect and GoCharge Apps cover most of them offering real time availability and account management while you are on the move.
How much do public electric vehicle charging stations cost?
ESB introduced pay as you go and membership price plans to use public EV charging stations in 2020. Fees are €4.50 per month and between 23c and 33c kWh depending on the charger you use. GoCharge allows you to charge your car for 30c per kW hr.
Which ever option you choose it’ll work out at much less than a tank of petrol or diesel at the moment!
How to get an electric car charger for home?
You can bypass using the public charging system most of the time by having an EV charge point installed at home. Fortunately with the help of Energia and SEAI getting a home charge point is easy.
If you are interested in purchasing a new electric vehicle, browse our dealer partnership offers or find out more about our specially developed EV tariff where you pay a reduced rate of electricity at night followed by installation of your charger.
The advantages of having an electric car charger for home?
- Convenience of charging your EV every night
- Dedicated chargers are smart and will control the flow of energy to your battery
The disadvantages of electric car chargers at home?
There are very few disadvantages to having a car vehicle charger at home:
- Goes without saying, it’s at home so can’t be used while you are on holiday
The way sales are increasing year on year, electric cars are most certainly the way we’ll all be getting around very soon.
Another goal of the climate action plan is to source 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Go a step further, 100% of our electricity is from renewable sources so making the switch to Energia is another way to contribute to a greener future for us all.