What's the news?
The public charging network is deemed by many electric vehicle (EV) owners to be already inadequate, and the surging interest in electric cars and the incoming wave of new models could only compound the problems. Some cite this as one of the barriers to more widespread adoption of EVs, but new data suggests that only 5 per cent of charging events occur at public chargers.
Norway, a country seen as the most mature EV market with a widespread charging network, has seen the number of people using its public slow chargers on a daily basis fall from 10 per cent in 2014 to just 2 per cent in 2017.
As electric driving ranges increase, the reliance on public chargers should begin to decrease. There are exceptions, namely the high number people living in rented accommodation or in apartment complexes where it is not possible to have a home charger installed. Where there is an increase is the use of fast-chargers, where owners can quickly top up the battery, typically during a long distance journey.
It is along these major arterial routes and motorways that more public charge points are needed, and approximately 1,000 ultra-fast charging sites in Europe are planned to open by 2020. In Ireland, Tesla has already opened three of its Supercharging stations on the M1, M7 and M8 motorways. These are in addition to the existing network of fast chargers, which ESB eCars states exceeds 70.
The limiting factor in holding back the popularity of EVs isn't the charging network, but the limited choice of models for buyers. Greg Archer, Clean Vehicles Director with Transport & Environment (T&E), said: "Carmakers are creating a smokescreen claiming there are insufficient recharging points in major markets. The truth is the chicken or the egg problem is fixed in northern and western Europe, where three in four new EVs are sold. The primary bottleneck in increasing sales of electric cars is the lack of cars to plug-in."
Nissan is leading the rankings for new electric vehicle registrations in Ireland, with over 670 units year to date, while Tesla now occupies second place having registered 110 units. Hyundai has seen a drop, which is believed partly to be due to supply issues around its Ioniq model, but the company will soon to introduce an electric version of its Kona crossover. Other brands, such as Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, are planning to introduce dedicated EV models over the coming year. Although many of these will command a premium price tag, they will at least offer more choice to some buyers.
Anything else?
With the cost of charging hardware now becoming more affordable, more companies are seeking to install charge points both for staff and public/customer use. The supermarket chain, Lidl, is equipping 20 of its retail shops with charging points for customer use. While existing EV owners will undoubtedly welcome this move, more needs to be done to encourage consumers to consider switching to electric vehicles if Ireland is to stand any chance of reaching its targets for EV adoption rates.