Tesco and ESB announce nationwide roll-out of charge points for Electric Vehicles

• 52 destination chargers will be installed at Tesco stores across 18 Counties

19^th December 2019: Tesco Ireland, in partnership with ESB, has announced the rollout of dual outlet electric vehicle chargers which will be installed at 52 of its store carparks spanning 18 counties nationwide.  The new electric vehicle charging sites will allow Tesco customers to easily charge their EVs conveniently whilst shopping, positively contributing to a cleaner environment.

Under this partnership ESB will supply, install and operate the charge points. The 18-county roll out will commence in early 2020 with completion expected by the Autumn.

Since 2017, Tesco Ireland has sourced all its electricity needs from renewable sources. This move will assist the drive to reduce Ireland’s carbon emissions and will complement the existing ESB network of EV charge points across the country.

The new ESB chargers will be 22kW dual chargers providing charging capacity to two vehicles simultaneously. The chargers will be capable of providing up to 145km of driving range in 60 minutes.

The 52 chargers will be included on ESB’s nationwide charge point map to help customers find their closest charging point and allow customers to start and stop transactions using the ESB app.

Enabling the electrification of transport is a key part of ESB’s Brighter Future strategy and the group is committed to ongoing support and investment in this area.

There are currently over 15,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads, with 4,755 of these registered to date in 2019, representing an increase of 142% on 2018 figures. It is expected that sales will at least double in 2020 bolstered by the fact that the biggest selling EVs now have a driving range of 400 to 500km.  

Kari Daniels, CEO, Tesco Ireland: “At Tesco we recognise that a growing number of our customers who visit our stores are using electric vehicles. With all our electricity already coming from renewable sources across our network we want to support our customers with convenience-based charging.  Partnering with ESB installing these charging sites nationwide will help the Government’s Climate Action Plan and our aim as a business to become a zero-carbon retailer by 2050.”

Marguerite Sayers, Director of Customer Solutions, ESB Ireland, said: “ESB is proud to work with Tesco Ireland in delivering this charging infrastructure for its customers. The electrification of transport is a key element of our Brighter Future Strategy and our partnership with Tesco Ireland reaffirms our commitment to this. Since 2010, we have rolled out a nationwide public EV charging network, with plans to launch our first high-powered charging hubs in 2020, with support from the Irish Government’s Climate Action Fund. The addition of these chargers at Tesco stores ensures more customers will have a reliable, accessible network for the benefit of all users.”

Tesco has rolled out an energy-management strategy which has reduced electricity consumption by 24% over the past five years, working in partnership with ESB’s Smart Energy Services. Since 2013, Tesco has seen its electricity demand reduce by over 45,000,000kwh annually, the equivalent in electricity to power over 2,400 homes annually.  The energy usage measures that have been undertaken include lighting upgrades across stores including back-of-house areas resulting in a reduction of overall electricity consumption by 24% in the last five years.

ENDS/

Notes to Editor
 In addition to upgrades that took place in Tesco retail stores, a large-scale LED project was completed towards the end of 2018 at Donabate Distribution Centre which delivered a saving in energy usage of 2,200,000kwh.  

Other investments have included refrigeration, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and upgrades of controls.  A targeted approach to quickly identifying energy-usage anomalies is adopted by Tesco which then acts swiftly to ensure continued efficient operation.

Charging statistics for the 22kw dual charger are based on a Renault Zoe.

Pricing will be introduced on the Tesco charging points in 2020 in line with ESB published rates. See ESB RatesElectric vehicle numbers – Source - Department of Transport, Tourism sand Sport

Tesco Locations for roll out in 2020

About ESB’s Smart Energy Services: ESB Smart Energy Services is a business line within ESB, offering businesses managed energy services through a partnership approach which leverages cutting-edge technology and funding solutions to reduce energy consumption and costs for the industrial and commercial sectors.