RECHARGING STATIONS with the capacity to power up an electric car’s battery from zero to 80 per cent in 30 minutes, giving it a range of more than 100km (60 miles) will start appearing on forecourts next month.
ESB eCars yesterday announced details of agreements with Topaz, the Maxol Group and Lidon which will see a number of fast-charge points installed in service stations along inter-urban routes. Drivers will be able give their cars a charge of 80 per cent for about €6. A home charge, at night, will cost half that.
The company is hoping the charging stations will help people overcome “range anxiety”, a major stumbling block for electric cars to date. The stations will allow motorists drive across the State with just one recharge.
The first fast-charge points will be operational in Topaz stations in Monaghan and Cashel, followed shortly afterwards by Cork, Athlone and Cavan. Standard charge points will also be installed at these locations.
The first Maxol service stations to get a fast-charge point will be in Navan, Co Meath, while Lidon Limited, which trades as Junction 14, will install fast- and standard-charge points on the new motorway service area on the M7 at Monasterevin by June.
Some 30 fast-charge points will be installed at stations by the end of 2011. ESB eCars says the development “marks a major milestone in promoting the wider adoption of electric cars in Ireland”.
ESB eCars also has plans for 1,500 public-charge points and 2,000 home units, depending on the take-up rate. The Government wants to see about 250,000 electric cars on Irish roads within a decade and has plans for 6,000 by the end of next year.
Last week, a grant scheme for buyers of electric vehicles was approved by Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte. All vehicles with CO2 emissions under 75g per km will be eligible for a purchase subsidy of up to €5,000. The department said it would also apply to all eligible vehicles sold between January 1st and the start of the scheme. Figures show no new electric vehicles were put on the road during this period.
ESB chief executive Pádraig McManus said that in spite of the slow take-up, the introduction of fast-charge points “represents a big step forward”. He said they “will help to reassure drivers that longer journeys between urban centres are practical”.
