Bunratty Castle might date from 1425 (citation: a school tour I once went on), but now, just next door, there's a cutting-edge electric car charging hub, as ESB e-Cars opens its latest charging spot.
Where is the ESB High Power EV Charging Hub?
The new charging hub, opened by Timmy Dooley TD, Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, is at the Bunratty Castle Hotel, just adjacent to the famous castle and folk park in Co. Clare (the Eircode is V95 DW9N if you need to find it in a hurry…).
How many EV charging points are there at Bunratty Castle Hotel?
The site gets four individual hook-ups, each capable of delivering up to 360kW of charging power, making them among the most powerful DC chargers on the island. In theory, they can deliver as much as 220km of extra range in just ten minutes.
Why place them near Bunratty Castle?
Clearly, the idea here is to serve the tourist trade as much as Ireland's home-grown long-haul EV drivers. Bunratty is a hugely popular tourist destination, and it's more or less at the mid-point of the Wild Atlantic Way, so it's an ideal location for fast top-ups.
How many chargers does that make in the area?
This latest is ESB's 8th hub in the region and follows the recent openings of ESB High Power EV Charging Hubs in Shannon, Castletroy and Ennis Road in Co. Limerick and Collooney in Co. Sligo. Speaking at the launch, Suzanne Ward, Head of Developing Business, ESB, said: "This high power charging hub makes EV charging faster, more accessible, and more reliable for drivers in the mid west region. We are committed to creating a cleaner, more sustainable transport future and are dedicated to investing in the charging network with the continued rollout of high-power hubs across the island.”
Timmy Dooley TD, said: "Expanding and enhancing EV charging infrastructure is key to accelerating electric vehicle uptake in Ireland. The opening of this charging hub improves accessibility and convenience, ensuring more people in the mid-west will be supported to make the transition to cleaner transport while contributing to achieving our climate targets.”