- Pilot to test how shared mobility can aid in the delivery of electrification of transport targets and supporting communities in net zero carbon initiatives
- Six-month pilot programme supported by Leitrim County Council and Leitrim Volunteer Centre
1 March 2023
The Leitrim Volunteer Centre will have the use of a new Corsa-e for its daily trips as part of a new community electric vehicle (EV) pilot rolled out by ESB, and supported by Leitrim County Council.
The six-month pilot involves the installation of a new charge point at The Hive, Carrick-on-Shannon by Leitrim County Council with the infrastructure remaining in place after the programme is completed.
The aim of the project is to assess the needs and demands of community and rural EV-sharing initiatives, and to develop electric transport solutions to complement the plans recently set out in the revised Climate Action Plan.
Leitrim Volunteer Centre has a volunteer driving scheme in place in Carrick-on-Shannon with 27 volunteers and 40 clients, with all the trips taken in their own personal vehicles. The Centre will manage the pilot programme including access to the car.
Speaking at the launch of the pilot in Carrick-on Shannon, Donal Phelan, Innovation Manager at ESB, said: “ESB is delighted to launch a new pilot which was developed in our X_Potential Incubator programme. This pilot is another example of our commitment to testing innovative, sustainable initiatives that will enable electrification of transport to be affordable and accessible. We are proud to support the work being done by Leitrim Volunteer Centre and look forward to seeing how this pilot will help their service offering while we also commend Leitrim County Council for supporting this important project.”
The Corsa-e – leased by ESB from Enterprise – has a range of 337km, offering ample charge for one day’s driving in the locality. Users will also have access to ESB’s network of more than 1,350 EV chargers for their requested trips.
Josephine Stroker, Manager of Leitrim Volunteer Centre, added: “We are delighted to be part of this exciting initiative. It will be an invaluable addition to the Leitrim Community Car Scheme which provides a vital service to those who use it in County Leitrim. The scheme transports people to essential medical appointments with the support of an amazing, dedicated and selfless group of volunteers.”
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver can register their interest with the Leitrim Volunteer Centre here.
As part of the project, data on how users avail of the service will be analysed such as how they travel to The Hive, and where and when they required charge top-ups on their journeys. It is planned that community groups and local people may have access to the Corsa-e, pending availability and approvals. More information will be provided at a later date.
The Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council, Ita Reynolds Flynn commended the project and added: “Leitrim County Council is delighted to support this initiative by supporting the installation of the EV chargers. The project also complements the ongoing Sustainability Mobility Pathfinder project that Leitrim County Council is leading out on as prioritised by the Department of Transport Pathfinder programme.”
Ends
About Leitrim Volunteer Centre Drivers
Anyone wishing to register their interest in driving as a volunteer driver should email info@volunteerleitrim.ie or call 071 9622537. All applicants need to complete the following:
- Formal Interview
- Garda Vetting
- References
- Application Form
- Identification Check (photo ID, Full Clean Drivers Licence etc…)
All information can be found here.
About ESB’s X_Potential
This initiative is part of ESB’s X_Potential programme. This programme enables all staff across ESB to submit innovative ideas that have the potential to develop into future businesses for the organisation. Each year five business opportunities are selected from the many ideas submitted for further development work supported by a structured incubator process with world-leading external mentors based in Dogpatch Labs, Dublin. Over the course of four months the teams work on their ideas to develop into investor-ready proposals which are presented to ESB's Innovation Council at a final pitch event. In addition to the direct business benefits of new source of revenue, staff selected for the programme benefit from significant personal development and get to work in a live entrepreneurial environment, take personal ownership for their ideas and projects and avail of world-class mentoring opportunities to drive forward their ideas.
ESB Charge Points
ESB ecars was established in 2010 to roll out the public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) across Ireland and to support the introduction and demand for electric vehicles nationally. ESB operates and maintains over 1,350 public charge points across the island of Ireland. These are available for electric vehicles and are found nationwide in locations such as motorway services, on-street, shopping centres, carparks etc.
A map of all charge points is available here.