ESB ecars has announced detailed plans for the rollout of fast charge points in service stations across the country from next month.
Under agreements with Topaz, The Maxol Group and Lidon Limited, a number of fast charge points will be available in service stations along inter-urban routes from May and throughout the summer, enabling drivers to charge electric cars from zero to 80 percent of their capacity in less than 30 minutes.
The first fast charge points will be operational from next month in Topaz stations in Monaghan and Cashel, followed shortly afterwards by locations in Cork, Athlone and Cavan in June 2011.
A Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed between ESB ecars and Topaz for fast charging in a further ten service stations. Standard charge points will also be installed at these locations.
ESB ecars has reached an agreement with The Maxol Group about installing fast and standard charge points at a number of Maxol service stations across the country, commencing with Navan, Co Meath which is expected to be up and running by June.
ESB ecars has also finalised an agreement with Lidon Limited (trading as Junction 14 Mayfield) to install both fast and standard charge points on the new motorway service area on the M7 (junction 14), Monasterevin, Co Kildare. These charge points are expected to be also operational by June.
Under the partnership agreements, a total of 30 fast charge points are planned to be installed at service station across the country by the end of 2011. ESB ecars will place the fast charge points in strategic locations so that electric car owners can travel easily between urban centres.
All installed fast charge points use high speed electronics to turn mains electricity into high power (Direct Current/DC) and are built to the Japanese Chademo standard which was launched in 2010. Because of Ireland’s leadership role in the area of fast charghing ESB has been nominated to the European Chademo Steering Group.
A spokesperson for ESB ecars told CompleteCar.ie that it would cost "around €6" to charge an EV to 80 percent from depleted at one of these fast chargers and added that they are also in discussions with AppleGreen, who operate the service stations on the M1 Motorway about having fast charging installations placed on this route.