‘Ramp up charging points’ says Mullins
A FINE GAEL European election candidate has called for the ramping up of the installation of electric vehicle charge points in Ireland.
Former Bord Gais chief executive John Mullins, who is running for the party in Ireland South, pointed to a study from the Irish Electric Vehicle Association (IEVA) showing that four in every five respondents did not have confidence in the infrastructure at present.
Mr Mullins, who hails from Bishopstown in Cork, also pointed out the same number of people in the survey revealed a target of a million electric vehicles by 2030 will not happen.
“The government aims to have 180,000 EVs on our roads by the end of next year, and while public chargers are being installed by private companies on a continuous basis, the pace of this is behind what it needs to be, to adequately serve those who might want to go electric but don’t feel confident doing so yet because of a lack of public infrastructure,” said Mr Mullins, a former EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
Ireland lags behind its European counterparts in regard of increasing electric vehicle usage, meeting less than 50% of its targets.
But Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has announced a new €21m grant scheme to boost chargiing infrastructure on big interurban routes.
Mr Mullins added: “If we want to propel the movement of electric vehicle driving in Ireland, we need to prioritise the rollout of public charging, not just on motorways and in major urban areas, but in small towns and villages up and down the country.
"Green transport is a crucial part of the country’s climate policy and we’re not taking it seriously enough.
"There’s been a significant uptake in electric vehicle sales in Ireland in recent years, but consumer confidence is dipping, and will continue to do so, if the government doesn’t work in tandem with the private sector in moving on with much-needed infrastructure.”
Ireland goes to the polls on Friday, June 7.