Latest news with #ZEVI
RTÉ News
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Solar-powered electric vehicle charging hub launched in Galway
A solar-powered electric vehicle charging hub has been launched in Galway City by Mayor Mike Cubbard and Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Seán Canney. The EV hub will offer a reduced charging rate for city dwellers who have no driveways. Taxi drivers and public transport operators will also be able to avail of the discounted rates. The EV hub is the first of its kind in Ireland and is located in Westside, which is a decarbonisation zone in Galway City. Mayor Mike Cubbard commented: "I'm delighted to see reduced cost electric car charging being introduced in Westside - particularly for people living in apartments or with no driveways who would like to switch to an EV, but are concerned about where they could charge their vehicle, or the cost of commercial charging. "Taxi drivers will also be invited to avail of a reduced rate for fast charging their vehicles to support a transition to EV vehicles in the city. The six spaces are fully accessible, so will cater to all mobility users, with significantly cheaper rates available for up to one hour of charging. "This project is a key action in Galway City Council's Climate Action Plan and will play a significant role in facilitating the move to electric vehicles in the city." The Galway hub is the first of four to be launched countrywide, with the others coming on stream in Letterkenny in Donegal, Waterford City and Dundrum in Dublin later in the year. The hubs are being delivered in a partnership between Trinity College Dublin, Atlantic Technological University (ATU), ESB and Enterprise Car Club. Funding is being provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2022. Mr Canney said: "I'm delighted to support the launch of the Westside EV Charging Pilot on behalf of the Department of Transport and ZEVI. "This is a smart and forward-thinking project that makes use of the building's existing electricity supply, along with solar panels and battery storage, to deliver fast and reliable charging for electric vehicle users. "It allows people charge with minimal impact on the local electricity grid, and it creates a convenient neighbourhood charging option for people living nearby or working in the area who may not be able to charge at home. This is the first of several EV charging pilots the department and ZEVI are supporting with local authorities in 2025. "The approach is designed to be scalable and easily replicated right across the country and support other national initiatives led by ZEVI, including the Shared Island Sports Club scheme and national roads/motorway schemes." The hubs will also serve as testing grounds for electric bike sharing and will allow people to try them out before buying one. The hub sites will include an ESB charge station with one e-cargo bicycle, four electric bicycles, and two shared EVs provided by Enterprise Car Club. The e-bikes can be used via the ESB e-Hub app on Android and iPhone. They will require a minimum wallet top-up of €10 to begin using the e-bikes and e-cargo bicycle service. The bikes will use a €1 unlock fee with the first minute free, and after that, the e-bikes rentable for €0.25 per minute and the cargo bicycle for €5 per hour. Both have daily caps of a maximum of €60 per day. Engineer at Galway City Council Colm Shaughnessy said: "Galway City Council is the first public body to provide EV infrastructure exploring solar and battery technology to power electric vehicles. Findings from this pilot will provide much-needed learnings to allow other local authorities and private EV suppliers provide much-needed EV charging without the requirement for large on-grid connections. "In particular, this set-up could be the ideal solution for rural locations where the on-grid capacity is not available for high-powered EV charging infrastructure. Other potential applications of this system include powering supermarket fridges or leisure centre pools, for example - so the learnings of this pilot could have significant impacts in the switch to more sustainable power options." Head of innovation at the ESB Group Donal Phelan, said: "We continuously strive to explore the potential of new technology to achieve ESB's Net Zero by 2040 goal through three key objectives: decarbonising energy, building resilient infrastructure and empowering customers to live more sustainably." He added: "Our commitment to sustainability and innovation is at the heart of this e-mobility hub pilot. Working with key partners to deliver this pilot ensures that we are collectively working towards a cleaner, greener, and more connected urban future."
Irish Independent
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Sligo to get extra EV charging hubs
An allocation of almost €8 million will be provided to support grants for recharging infrastructure at the selected sites, with chargers set to be in place by the end of this year. These new sites will deliver 175 new fast and ultra-fast recharging points, at 53 locations along the national road network, making it quicker and easier for EV drivers to top up on longer journeys. The announcement is part of a wider plan to build a reliable recharging network across the country, with the distance between recharging hubs to be 60km or less. The recharging hubs are funded through the Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) initiative operated by Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), and delivered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). This phase of the initiative focused on over 1,200km of national single carriageway roads. Enterprises such as petrol/service station operators, car park owners, hotels, supermarkets/retail outlets, and others with publicly accessible sites, could apply through a competitive grant process for funding. The total allocation for this aspect is €7.9 million. Applegreen, Carraroe, Sligo N4; Whiteside's SuperValu, Ballisodare, N4; Surlis SuperValu, Tubbercurry, N17; Drive Service stations Ltd, Sligo, N17. Sligo Leitrim TD, Frank Feighan has welcomed the announcement of the nomination of 7 sites across Leitrim, South Donegal, and Sligo. 'It is vital for this region and constituency that we expand our EV charging network to facilitate EV owners who visit this region for either work or leisure purposes. 'I would like to see more of our smaller villages and towns get the funding to provide town centre fast charging EV points to ensure that more and more people have the opportunity to visit our locality including EV owners without the concern of range anxiety,' said Deputy Feighan. The nominating sites in Leitrim are: Rooney's Supervalu, Manorhamilton and Rosebank Retail Park, Carrick-on-Shannon.
Irish Independent
05-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
EV drivers in Limerick set to benefit from three new high-powered recharging hubs
The new sites are supported by nearly €8 million in government funding and will be strategically located to ensure drivers are never more than 60km from a high-power charging facility. 'We're taking real, practical steps to make electric vehicles work for everyone,' said Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien. 'With more chargers, more choice, and more support, we hope even more people will feel confident making the switch to electric,' he added. The recharging hubs are part of the Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) initiative operated by Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) and delivered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). This national phase of the programme focused on over 1,200km of national single carriageway roads. Funding was awarded through a grant process for accessible locations such as service stations, supermarkets, hotels, and car parks. The total funding for this phase amounts to €7.9 million, with several Limerick locations among the first confirmed: Weev Charging Ltd, Templeglantine, N21; Hodkinson's Centra & Top Oil, Patrickswell, N21; Dooleys SuperValu, Newcastle West, N21. Peter Walsh, CEO of TII, said: 'Working in partnership with ZEVI and the private sector, this scheme is helping us build the kind of infrastructure people can rely on: fast, efficient and accessible.' This announcement follows earlier funding rounds under the ZEVI National Road Network EV Charging Plan, which have already supported the installation of 131 high-power chargers at 17 motorway and dual-carriageway locations. A new scheme, aimed at supporting charging infrastructure on an additional 3,000km of national roads, is also underway, with applications open until the end of June.
Irish Independent
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Here is where the three new Electric Vehicle Recharging Hubs will be in Kerry
Here in Kerry, the three new hubs will be located at the following locations: An allocation of almost €8 million will be provided to support grants for recharging infrastructure at the selected sites, with chargers set to be in place by the end of this year. These new sites will deliver 175 new fast and ultra-fast recharging points, at 53 locations along the national road network, making it quicker and easier for EV drivers to top up on longer journeys. The announcement is part of a wider plan to build a reliable recharging network across the country, with the distance between recharging hubs to be 60km or less. Minister O'Brien said: 'We're taking real, practical steps to make electric vehicles work for everyone. With more chargers, more choice, and more support, we hope even more people will feel confident making the switch to electric. These high-powered chargers are a key step in that process. We're committed to building a sustainable and cleaner transport system, and that means making it easy to charge wherever you are.' The recharging hubs are funded through the Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) initiative operated by Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), and delivered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). This phase of the initiative focused on over 1,200km of national single carriageway roads. Enterprises such as petrol/service station operators, car park owners, hotels, supermarkets/retail outlets, and others with publicly accessible sites, could apply through a competitive grant process for funding. The total allocation for this aspect is €7.9 million. The announcement marks another major milestone under Ireland's National EV Charging Network Plan, which aims to make EV recharging accessible across all parts of the country, from motorways to rural roads, and from cities to small towns. This is part of the wider ZEVI National Road Network EV Charging Plan, which previously awarded grant funding to deliver 131 new high-power recharging points at 17 locations along the motorway/dual-carriageway network. An additional scheme to support recharging infrastructure across another 3,000km of the national road network is also currently underway, with applications closing in June.
Irish Examiner
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Cork to get seven new EV charging stations by the end of the year
Cork is to get seven new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations under new plans announced by the Government on Wednesday. The stations will be along the N20, N22 and N25 and will be located at: Lee's Centra, Charleville Mac's Place Mallow Plaza Dano's Supervalu, Mallow Charleville Park Hotel O'Leary's, Lissarda Centra, Carrigtwohill Centra, Castlemartyr Kerry and Limerick will each see three new EV stations introduced. Kerry's will be at Fairtree Café, Centra at The Rock and Centra in The Reeks, while Limerick's will be at Weev Charging in Templeglantine, Hodkinson's Centra in Patrickswell, and Dooley's SuperValu in Newcastle West. Two new stations will be located in Waterford at Applegreen Lemybrien and Kilmeadan Business Centre. Making the announcement, Transport Minister Daragh O'Brien said the move would result in 'more chargers, more choice and more support,' 'We're taking real, practical steps to make electric vehicles work for everyone. With more chargers, more choices, and more support, we hope even more people will feel confident making the switch to electric," Mr O'Brien said. These high-powered chargers are a key step in that process. "We're committed to building a sustainable and cleaner transport system, and that means making it easy to charge wherever you are.' An allocation of almost €8m will be provided to support grants for recharging infrastructure at the selected sites, with chargers set to be in place by the end of this year. The new sites will deliver 175 new fast and ultra-fast recharging points, at 53 locations along the national road network, making it quicker and easier for EV drivers to top up on longer journeys. The announcement is part of a wider plan to build a reliable recharging network across the country, with the distance between recharging hubs to be 60km or less. None of the 53 new high-power recharging hubs are located in Dublin. Donegal has the most new hubs with seven. The recharging hubs are funded through the Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) initiative operated by Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), and delivered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). This phase of the initiative focused on over 1,200km of national single-carriageway roads. Enterprises such as petrol/service station operators, car park owners, hotels, supermarkets/retail outlets, and others with publicly accessible sites, could apply through a competitive grant process for funding. The total allocation for this aspect is €7.9m. Peter Walsh, CEO of TII, said: 'Working in partnership with ZEVI and the private sector, this scheme is helping us build the kind of infrastructure people can rely on: fast, efficient and accessible.' At the weekend, the local authorities in Cork county and Kerry announced plans to team up to plan the delivery of EV charging infrastructure across the southwest. Cork and Kerry County Councils launched a joint public consultation process seeking public input into the potential location and type of EV charging points that need to be installed in both counties over the coming years, in a bid to facilitate the move of more people to EVs. The public consultation for the southwest is open until 4pm on June 30. Read More Funding to electrify Cork rail reaches next EU round
