The Department of Transport has announced the roll-out of 90 new electric car charging hubs across the country, with €10 million in support from Government funding.
Are these fast chargers or slow chargers?
Fast, with 250kW being the typical charging power available for the 192 individual connections that will be located at these hubs (that's an average of 2.1 plugs per hub if you're wondering). They'll be located along national primary and secondary roads.
How far apart will they be?
The plan is that there should be no more than 30km between these charging points.
Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien said: “Today's announcement marks the final major phase of our Light Duty Vehicle initiative, following the earlier Phase One and Phase Two schemes, and completes this series of investments in our national EV charging network. Together, these schemes aim to ensure that drivers across Ireland will have reliable access to high-powered charging, making the transition to electric practical and convenient. Importantly, this investment will also bring high-quality, high-powered EV charging to more rural locations, helping to promote local economies support tourism, and strengthen regional development.”
Are there any other chargers coming?
Yes, there are, as ZEVI, or Zero Emissions Vehicles Ireland, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) had previously announced funding for 149 new high-power recharging points at 19 locations along the motorway/dual-carriageway network, and 175 new fast and ultra-fast recharging points at 53 locations along the national road network.
Lorcan O'Connor, CEO of TII, said: “TII is pleased to drive the delivery of this final phase of the EV recharging infrastructure identified in the ZEVI National Road Network Plan. The scheme will make the most significant contribution so far towards the vision of providing a fully expansive EV recharging infrastructure network across all National Roads. This network will connect regional and urban communities, enhancing user confidence in Electric Vehicles and further support the Avoid-Shift-Improve framework of the Climate Action Plan and the electrification of Ireland's car fleet. The final delivery of the LDV phase Three EV recharging infrastructure, when combined with the previous LDV phases One and Two, will be a major step in helping to reduce range anxiety.”
When will these chargers be available to use?
In theory, and according to TII, the first of these chargers should be open for use by the end of the first quarter of 2026.