ecars drives on with network upgrade and replacement programme

Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers will enjoy improved charging facilities, thanks to an ongoing upgrade and replacement programme currently underway by ESB ecars.

As part of its commitment to investing in and developing the EV charging network, ESB ecars has undertaken a programme of replacing older fast charging models with new multi-standard fast chargers in recent months, a number of which are located at Circle K service stations around the country.This work enhances the network and provides more fast charging options for EVs including Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Kia and Hyundai vehicles, which use the ''CCS' charging standard.

ESB has been at the forefront of enabling electromobility, having built one of Europe's first nationwide EV charging networks and associated operational supports with more than 1,100 charging points across the island of Ireland.

The original EV charging network is now almost 10 years old and is currently being upgraded and expanded. This upgrade and replacement programme is of vital importance to support the increasing number of EV drivers now on Irish roads. Following double digit growth in electric vehicle sales last year, the number of EV registrations in Ireland reached almost 2,100 (new and imports) in February 2019 compared to almost 600 in the same month in 2018, according to The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

Outlining the importance of the upgrade programme to EV drivers and the wider electrification of transport ambition, Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director, Customer Solutions, ESB, said: ''A key element of ESB's Strategy for a Brighter Future is to enable the electrification of transport to help tackle climate change. To improve the drivers' experience and to encourage further adoption of EVs, this ongoing upgrade and replacement work of our network, starting with our fast chargers, is critical.

''Since the beginning of this year we've replaced many of the oldest fast chargers across the country. We'll continue to work with EV drivers and stakeholders as we move to the next phase of introducing payment for fast charging, which will help fund ongoing investment in Ireland's EV charging network.''

As part of the current programme, eight fast charge points at Circle K owned service stations have been upgraded with multi-standard fast chargers. These include: