What are public EV Charging Stations?

EV charging stations are essential to having a large scale adoption of electric cars as they provide the infrastructure to let people charge their EV battery away from home.

Public EV charging stations can be found in many places, public car parks, hotels, supermarkets, businesses, and more.

There are many companies operating in the market in Ireland, offering EV drivers access to different charging options.

Public EV Charging Stations

What are public EV Charging Stations?

Public charging stations refer to any EV charging which is not done using a home charger. Public charging stations are typically more powerful than home EV chargers, since people aren’t often able to leave their car plugged in for as long as they can with a home charger.

Why are public EV charging stations necessary?

The best way to do most of your EV charging is with a home charger for both convenience and price.

A home EV charger uses your low cost home energy and ensures that you always leave home with a full battery.

However, for long journeys, it may not be possible to make the entire trip on a single charge for many electric car models, especially if they have a low battery.
Public EV charging stations allow drivers to top up their car with a quick boost to make sure they get to their destination.

In addition, many people living in Irish towns and cities may not have anywhere they can install a home EV charger, since they don’t have a driveway or other off street parking.

This make it even more important that there is a wide network of public charging stations available so that drivers aren’t left waiting long periods for a limited number of charge points to become available.

EV charging stations

Types of EV Charging Stations

There are multiple different varieties of EV charging stations primarily based on whether they use Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC) power, and their power level.

All electric vehicles can charge using either AC or DC charge points, but they will take different lengths of time to charge an EV battery.

A rough breakdown of public EV Charger categories would be:

  • Standard Charger: AC power up to 22kW in strength

  • Fast Charger: DC charger from 50 – 150kW

  • High-Power Charger: DC charger of ≥150kWh

EV Charger Power Comparison

The Difference Between AC and DC Charging Stations

The main difference between AC and DC charging stations is the length of time they take to charge because of the conversion speed of the electricity.

DC chargers are always more powerful, high speed EV charging stations than AC charge points. 

The reason for this is that while electricity in the grid, used in our homes and everywhere else, is alternating current, for electricity to be stored in a battery, it must first be converted to direct current.

If you are using an AC charger, then this is done with an onboard converter within the car, which can only work so fast. 

DC charging stations have a much larger and more powerful converter built into the unit. This can work much faster, so your battery is charged faster.

That’s why all EV charging stations labelled as High-Power, and most Fast chargers, are DC. There’s no point in boosting the power level of an AC charging station beyond what the car can accept.

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EV Charger Connectors

There are multiple different types of plug and socket connectors for an EV charging station, which can vary depending on how old they are and where they are found.

Type 1 Chargers

Type 1 chargers are an older variety of AC charger for electric vehicles, which have largely fallen out of use.

These only support up to 7kW in power supply, making them ill suited for charging larger batteries. They also lacked a locking mechanism to keep the charging cable connected.

Type 1 Chargers
CCS2 Charging

CHAdeMO

CHAdeMO chargers were one of the first systems designed for rapid DC charging, and they originated in Japan. They are incompatible with CCS2 and other standards, and are falling out of use in Ireland now as they get supplanted by the new standard.

CCS2 Charging

CCS2 is the current standard for charging infrastructure in Ireland and the rest of Europe. It integrates a Type 2 AC charger with a two-pin DC charger below.

CCS2 was created to provide interoperability for EV manufacturers and charge point operators in Europe, and has been made mandatory for fast charging stations in the EU.

Public EV Charging Operators

There are a number of companies in Ireland which operate networks of EV chargers in public areas and businesses.

These providers offer chargers of different power levels and price points. Some charge point operators also allow foir their apps or payment methods to be used for chargers outside of their network.

Paying for Public EV Charging

Paying for a public EV charger is usually done using card payment, a dedicated app, or a key fob or rfid card.

There are a number of charges which can determine the cost of using a public EV charger.

  • kWh Rates: The rate you are charged per kWh of electricity, varies based on charger strength, time of use, and operator.

  • Membership Fee: A charge point operator may offer preferential rates to users who buy a membership.

  • Overstay Fee: An overstay fee may be applied if you remain at the charger past a designated time limit

  • Access Fee: Some companies will charge customers different prices depending on if they pay using an app, or if they have some form of membership, which may have its own monthly payment.

Company Pay as You Go  Membership
Brite €0.47 – €0.60 N/A
CircleK €0.69/kWh N/A
EasyGo Fee Scales Vary by Location N/A
ePower €0.70 N/A
ESB eCars Standard: €0.52/kWh

Fast: €0.57/kWh

High Power: €0.59 /kWh

 Standard: €0.47/kWh 

Fast: €0.52/kWh

High Power: €0.54/kWh
Instavolt €0.85 N/A
Ionity €0.69 – €0.73/kWh €0.44 – €0.53/kWh
Tesla €0.49 – €0.74/kWh €0.38 – €0.57/kWh
Weev Standard: €0.60/kWh

Fast: €0.67/kWh

High-Power: 0.67/H

 Standard: €0.55/kWh

Fast: €0.62/kWh 

High-Power: €0.62/kWh

Overstay Fees

Overstay fees are charged when a car stays connected to a charge point longer than it needs to. This is to stop people from simply leaving their car at a public charger and stopping other people from charging.

The length of time before overstay fees start to apply will depend on the company, and the strength of the charger.

Overstay fees are more typically charged at high-power charging stations, since EV drivers don’t need to be connected as long.

Company Price Time Before Fee Applies
Brite €0.40 – €0.60 per minute 50 minutes
ESB eCars €0.50 per minute Standard Charge: 10 hours

Fast & High-Power: 45 minutes
Tesla Up to €1 per minute Applies after the car has finished charging
Weev €0.50 65 minutes

FAQs

Where can EV drivers find public charging stations?

Common locations for public charge points and include public car parks, shopping centres, service stations, hotels, and other locations where people are likely to park.

The cost for drivers to use public EV charging stations will depend on the output of the charge point and the company which provides the service.

The time it takes to charge an EV battery will vary depending on several factors such as the size of the battery and how much charge it starts with, the strength of the charge point, and whether it is an AC or DC charger.

Home EV charging is almost always the least expensive way to charge an EV, with the price of domestic electricity lower than public charging.

The SEAI offers a grant of €300 to assist with the cost of installing a home EV charger.

Many companies are now installing EV charging infrastructure in their parking, and this may offer free charging for employees. Supermarkets, hotels, and other businesses may also offer free charging for electric vehicles in order to attract customers.

If you drive an electric car frequently, and make long journeys that require public charging, then paying a membership for cheaper charging rates may save you money.

However, if you do almost all of your charging at home, or otherwise don’t require frequent charging, the monthly fee may end up costing more money than it saves.

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