'Range anxiety' affecting Leitrim electric car drivers

Leitrim needs more electric car chargers, according to a number of councillors at a recent municipal district meeting.
The issue was raised at the latest Ballinamore district meeting by Cllr Gary Prior who asked that a minimum of two fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers within the town area of Ballinamore be installed.
He was told that the ducting for future EV points are in place at the Junction Hub car park and an application has been submitted to Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) for a pilot project to install chargers at this location in Ballinamore.
Cllr Prior said that the project needed to be "moved along as quickly as possible" with "many more electric vehicles on the road".
He noted there is no charging point in Ballinamore and said that "range anxiety" has become an issue among those who drive electric cars.
Cllr Enda Stenson supported the motion stating that it was important to have a combination of slow and fast chargers.

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Cllr Prior said that a public car park behind the Leitrim Genealogy Centre would be a good location for another point.
Justin Fannon, Director of Services (Acting) said that Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan region has a regional communal strategy for electric vehicle (EV) charging, with a focus on expanding public charging infrastructure.
Cllr Stenson said that as an EV driver himself, he was acutely aware of the lack of charging points in the county.

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Emma Donohoe, Senior Executive Engineer, said the strategy will "go a long way in identifying the need for points in the county and we can go from there."