Oliver Loomes, eir, and Chris Kelly, EasyGo, at the announcement of the new EV charging points initiative.
EasyGo, Ireland’s largest car-charging network provider, has announced that it will invest €1m in the installation of more than 20 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Mayo.
This installation is performed in partnership with telecommunications provider eir, and Mayo County Council.
Eir and EasyGo have joined forces to develop new charging points across the country to accommodate the growing number of EVs on the roads. This partnership creates an opportunity to transform a service that once provided vital public access to telephones into a support for the future of low-carbon transportation.
According to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), about one out of every seven cars sold in Ireland so far this year is fully electric, while hybrid and fully-electric vehicles combined now account for almost half (44%) of new car sales in Ireland, with the rate of adoption growing quickly.
Adding these chargers in easily-accessible town- centre locations will increase the appeal of EVs for drivers, greatly extending the accessibility of charging points and thus the range of the vehicles.
Transport accounts for one third of Ireland’s energy-related CO2 emissions so increased adoption of EVs is a key aspect of Ireland’s Climate Action Plan. The EasyGo network is used by more than 30,000 Irish EV drivers who can avail of charging at more than 2,400 charge points nationally.
Commenting on the agreement, Tom Gilligan, director of services for housing, roads, architectural services and services development at Mayo County Council, said: “Mayo County Council is delighted to be collaborating with eir and Easy Go as regards the installation of new EV chargers. The rollout of these modern, state-of-the-art EV chargers will provide much-needed infrastructure that will further enhance Mayo’s reputation as a leader in the areas of climate action and low-carbon transportation. This joint enterprise by eir, Easy Go, and Mayo County Council is a great example of organisations working together for the betterment of our citizens and environment.”
Oliver Loomes, CEO of eir, said: “Radical transformation is required to meet the challenge of climate change. At eir, we are committed to playing our part in the creation of a greener, more sustainable Ireland.
“In order for Ireland to move to electric vehicles, we must have the required infrastructure in place, not just in cities, but across all of the country.
“We are proud to partner with EasyGo and Mayo County Council to assist in the installation of EV charging points across Mayo. We are in discussion with other county councils across the country about similar programmes and, wherever possible, we will replace unused eir payphone kiosks with rapid EV charging units and we will continue to assist in making the transition to EV ownership more viable.”
EasyGo founder and technical director Chris Kelly expressed his delight at the agreement: “EasyGo is on a mission to decarbonise transport, and our partnership with eir can go a long way to achieving that,” he said.
“To include so many locations in Mayo will be a great improvement of infrastructure in Mayo, and we are grateful for the active engagement from the leadership and wider team at Mayo County Council.”
The new EV chargers to be installed in Mayo will be found in: Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Charlestown, Claremorris, Crossmolina, Newport, Swinford, Ballina, Ballinrobe, Foxford, Westport, Achill Sound, Bangor Erris, Belmullet, Cong, Knock, Louisburgh, and Mulranny.
These installations mark the continuation of the rollout of this programme nationally. Throughout this programme, EasyGo and eir will utilise Tritium’s world-first, next-generation simultaneous DC rapid chargers, adding up to 100km range to an electric vehicle in just 15 minutes.
