Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
Subscribe Today!
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Leitrim ranks near bottom of the table nationally for availability of public EV chargers
A recent study has shown that Leitrim has one of the lowest ratios of public chargers to EVs in the country
Leitrim ranks near bottom of the table nationally for availability of public EV chargers
Reporter:
Sandra Malone
27 Jan 2025 12:00 PM
A recent study has shown that Leitrim ranks in the bottom half of the table nationally for the availability of public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for zero emission vehicles.
Conducted by a global leader in transportation solutions, Geotab, the analysis sees Leitrim ranked nineteenth in availability of EV charging infrastructure across the country. With 180 Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) sold in Leitrim in the past decade, there is just one charger available for approximately 16 BEVs in the county.
Ranked in the lower half of the national table, Leitrim has a total of 11 public EV chargers which is the lowest in the country. However, the county also had the lowest amount of EVs sold in the country over the past 10 years.
Kerry has come out on top for having the best ratio of EV chargers to EVs in the country, with one charger for every five. Overall, the ratios across Ireland aren't too impressive. However, the researchers Geotab argue that some progress is expected to be made over the coming years with new government policies such as the National Road EV Charging Network Plan which is committed to developing recharging stations every 60kms.
Charging anxiety has been a key factor in influencing drivers to not buy EVS, with many people opting for hybrid vehicles for a greater sense of security. The interest in moving towards these types of vehicles is evident however, as 2024 saw a 24% growth in new hybrid cars being licensed around the country.
This slow but steady improvement is also highlighted by the recent opening of the IONITY charging centre in Charlestown which has 12 350kW CCS units at the site - making it the largest in the country. The study in fact says that the ratio of BEVs to public charging infrastructure is the best it's ever been.
The availability of charging infrastructure is greatly needed to keep pace with the increasing numbers of BEVs in the country. The Irish EV Association stated that by the end of this year the scale of infrastructure should be triple the level of what was in place prior to 2023, with over 80 planning applications for fast charger sites across Ireland.
Commenting on the study's results, Phil Barnes, Geotab Business Development Manager, said: "While the majority of people charge their EVs at home, public chargers are a crucial piece of infrastructure that give people peace of mind that they can get from A to B without being worried about being stuck at the side of the road. Whether it’s a taxi driver working a long shift or a family taking a trip from one end of the country to the other, people want to know they can get access to a charger if they need one.
"The latest data is really positive as it illustrates how quickly the charging network is expanding and catching up with the amount of service stations available for traditional vehicles. The ambition and measures set out in the Programme for Government to substantially increase the number of public charging points, putting us ahead of the European average, and reduce the average distance between EV recharging points will help increase the momentum behind the adoption of zero emission vehicles in Ireland."
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
4
To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism!
Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.
Subscribe
To continue reading this article for FREE, please kindly register and/or log in.
Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy a paper
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
