The final version of the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan has been released this week, outlining how public EV charging infrastructure will be delivered in towns and villages across the country.

The final version of the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan has been published following consultation on the draft plan released last August.

The plan sets targets and strategy outlines for local authorities to develop EV charging infrastructure at Destination and Neighbourhood locations in their towns and cities.

A lack of EV charging infrastructure has been repeatedly identified as one of the biggest impediments to widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

There are many people living in towns, villages, and cities who lack the off street parking required to install a home charger.

Other concerns relate to the need to charge an EV battery at the end of a long journey, where public charging stations are needed.

Destination locations would comprise privately owned car parks at businesses such as restaurants and hotels, along with public parking, either on the street or at public facilities.

These Destination locations would have a mixture of slow, fast, and ultra-fast DC and AC charging stations for people running errands in town or engaged in activities. 

Whether AC chargers or faster DC charging stations are installed would depend on how long people are expected to park at specific locations.

The second big pillar of the planning is for Neighbourhood EV charging, which targets residential neighbourhoods where there is no off street parking which would allow for private charge points.

The EV Chargers installed in these locations are to be slow and medium speed AC chargers, ideal for long-stay and overnight charging, rather than a quick boost from a high-speed DC charger.

Charge Point Categories

The Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan calls for a combined charging capacity of 169,253kW to be installed by the end of 2025, and 562,244kW by the end of 2030 at neighbourhood and destination locations.

This is broken down by local authority with requirements, likely minimum requirements, for what they need to achieve by those two milestones.

The targets set for each local authority area have been set based on past and projected estimates of what proportion of the vehicles. 

Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien said, “This plan will help deliver the charging infrastructure people need, where they need it—at home, on the road, and at key destinations and neighbourhoods across communities.”

“Together with the National Road EV Charging Plan, it provides a complete national plan, ensuring no gaps in coverage and supporting Ireland’s transition to cleaner transport.”

Local authorities will be the ones to take the lead in delivering the objectives of this plan, with each required to develop their own infrastructure strategies and implementation plans.

Zero Emissions Vehicle Ireland is the government body helping local authorities with implementing these plans, providing staffing, funding, and other resources.

This strategy is expected to be delivered in three phases, with the targets for 2025 aiming for areas where it will be easier to install chargers rapidly, and then moving on to locations where it will take longer to install charge points.

Sites at destination and neighbourhood locations to meet 2025 AFIR targets with minimal or no barriers to delivery, that meet most user needs, and are of strategic importance (e.g., geographical and seasonal spread).

Sites with barriers to delivery (e.g. planning permissions, electrical grid upgrades), but of strategic importance, at destination and neighbourhood locations to meet 2030 AFIR targets. Scaling at existing Phase 1 site locations, where required.

Sites with high barriers to delivery, but of medium and high strategic importance. Transition to data-driven planning, based on user demand at existing locations. Scaling at existing Phase 1 and 2 site locations, where required.

Under this plan, towns and villages would have different charging capacity targets based on their size and location.

Destination and Neighbourhood charging have also been prioritised at different levels based on the type of town or village the charge points will be going into.

Indicative targets to achieve by the end of 2025 include:

Rural Village on a Regional Road

Seasonal Tourist Village

Country Town Along Regional Road

Weekend Local Tourist Destination Town

Medium Sized Town on a National Road

Large Town Off Motorway / National Road

Minister of State for Rural and Community Development, Charities and Transport, Jerry Buttimer explained, “The new plan provides a path for the accelerated delivery of regional and local networks of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure at destination and neighbourhood locations in cities, towns and villages across Ireland.”

“The plan aims to ensure there is sufficient infrastructure in rural and remote areas to meet future demand to ensure equitable access to charging infrastructure to promote widespread EV adoption”.

The Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan has been developed in tandem with the already published the National Road Network EV Charging Plan, which focuses on motorways, national, and secondary roads.

The first element of this is a €21 million investment in pools of high speed charging stations every 60km along Ireland’s motorway network by the end of 2025.

Ireland has set at target of having electric vehicles account for 30% of all private cars in Ireland, and ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035.