The new charging stations will be operational over the next two years, aiming to provide power to drivers who cannot charge their electric vehicles at home. According to the initiators, “This collaborative effort will help pave the way for smoother infrastructure development, better resource allocation, and greater convenience for electric vehicle owners (…).”
“This rollout represents a significant investment that will go a long way in strengthening the electric vehicle charging network in the Dublin region and help us reach net zero carbon emissions,” said Cllr Jim O’Leary, Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown District Council. : “Combined with the significant expansion of public charging options, this gives more people confidence that choosing an electric vehicle for their next car is not only possible, but convenient.”
The initiators point out that although Dublin already has the largest number of charging points in the country, the majority of these are privately owned and a shortage of public charging points has been identified. Given that the city expects to have about 138,000 electric cars on the roads over the next few years, it expects about a quarter of them to rely on public charging infrastructure. In addition, a BIK (benefit in kind) tax exemption will be offered from next year for private charging stations.
“This rollout shows that we are fully committed to promoting the adoption of electric vehicles on our streets for the health and wellbeing of everyone in the county and for the good of the environment. We look forward to seeing these much-needed chargers coming into Use”.
This marks the first expansion of public charging infrastructure in Dublin since Irish energy company ESB introduced a pay-per-use system in early 2023. A system of 17 high-power charging hubs was announced in July along the country’s national road network, which will see A total of 131 HPC points will be installed by the end of 2025. A €21 million freight grant was announced in February to stimulate the private sector, targeting publicly available facilities within a 3km drive of the motorway network such as service area operators, hotels and retail outlets.
dlrcoco.ie, rte.ie, thejournal.ie
