The ESB has launched a new high-speed electric car charging site at Barack Obama Plaza on the M7 motorway.
Up to 200kW charging speed
The new charging setup can handle as many as eight cars charging simultaneously at up to 200kW power. The ESB claims that the chargers can add as much as 100km of extra range in as little as five minutes of charging, but of course, that will be hugely dependent on your car's charging system and the available power at any given time.
The new high-speed hub is part of the ESB's €20 million investment in all-island EV infrastructure as it looks to reach corporate net zero by 2040. That investment, which is part-funded by the Irish Government's Climate Action Fund, aims to install 50 high-speed charging hubs across the country and upgrade the existing 22kW kerbside chargers.
Crucially for Irish drivers, the cost of using this - and other - high-speed chargers should be coming down shortly. The ESB has told CompleteCar that it expects to be able to reduce its charging tariffs within the next couple of months as wholesale electricity prices continue to fall from their 2022 peaks.
60,000 charges per day
The new hub at Barack Obama Plaza - so named because the former US president had distant relatives from the nearby town of Moneygall - should be busy. The ESB's other multi-bay hub, at Junction 14 on the M7 in Kildare, has seen as many as 60,000 charging events daily since it opened in 2021.
At the launch, John Byrne, Head of ESB ecars, said: "We are so pleased to be launching our new high power charging infrastructure today at Barack Obama Plaza. With several thousand visitors daily, this location will be of critical importance to ensuring that drivers in the region feel empowered to make the electric transition. EVs are the fasting growing segment in the Irish car market, and at ESB, we are committed to ensuring that the public charging network is there for drivers when they need it. Today's launch is just the next step of our plan which will see the remaining 28 high power sites at various stages of planning or build over the coming months."
The way of the future
Welcoming the new chargers, Supermacs founder and owner Pat McDonagh - who also owns Barack Obama Plaza - said: "At Supermac's, we have identified and prioritised opportunities to promote environmentally friendly activity as part of our ongoing Glan & Glas initiative. Electric vehicles are becoming an increasing presence on our forecourts at The Plaza Group and The Barack Obama Plaza is now one of the country's largest e-charging sites. This is certainly way of the future, and we are delighted to be a part of it."
Matthew Sealy, Chairperson of the Irish EV Association, also welcomed the new hubs: "It's great to see the increasing number of EVs on Irish roads in recent times, and fantastic to see the rapidly expanding network of charging hubs across the country, which will encourage even more people to make the switch. This new charging hub will be of huge importance to local EV drivers, commuters, and tourists, giving them even more flexibility on their journeys."