On street EV charging will be available for electric cars by the end of the year.
This was confirmed by the Transport Minister, Darragh O'Brien, who has described this as a "game changer" for encouraging more use of these vehicles. He add that there has been a "lot of frustration" for people who do not have a drive way or off street parking and cannot charge their EV cars outside of their home.
It has also emerged that a new scheme offering €5,000 for EV cars to replace petrol and diesel cars which are older than 13 years will take effect from next month. Initially available to around 2,000 motorists, the minister told the Indo Politics podcast that he hopes to expand beyond that, saying that it will be "oversubscribed".
“From what dealers are telling me, it will be oversubscribed", Mr O'Brien told the podcast.
However, the issue of the EVs cost and access to charging could still be a barrier here, with homeowners have been prevented by local authorities from installing charging points at the front of their homes amid concerns of path obstruction.
Using private cables can also lead to local authorities or estate management companies issuing enforcement and removal notices.
Some local authorities across Dublin have called for legislation to enable safe, cross pavement charging.
“I live in a multi-unit development, we have a drive-way, but we have a lot of neighbours who don’t. I see the problem that is there", Minister O'Brien said on the podcast.
“Lots of people want to charge at home, and most do. We have improved the public charging network and that will improve further this year", he continued. “But a lot of people have a problem, particularly if you are living in terraced houses, and you have shared driveways".
Mr O'Brien was then asked when people will be able to charge EVs outside their homes, to which he replied: “That will be coming in very soon – in the next few months. This year definitely".
He added: “We are waiting on guidelines that we have to sign off on. Those guidelines will be given to local authorities and say: ‘Here’s how you do it.’ I think that will be a game-changer for a lot of people".
This comes amid calls for the Government to provide more targeted measures to help to increase the usage of EVs, especially among lower income households.
According to the Climate Change Advisory Group, the transport sector accounted for 42% of energy demand in 2024, as well as 22% of national carbon emissions.
Unless swift action is taken, they warned that the sector would have exceeded its carbon emissions ceiling for 2026 to 2030.
It added that: “affordable, reliable and convenient EV charging infrastructure is a critical enabler of EV uptake”.
The board also said that the solution to this problem may come from the Private Wires Bill, which would allow for small scale private cables for people with no driveways to charge their electric cars on the street. It is currently going through the Oireachtas.
“We are really accelerating on the EV side. It’s good for decarbonisation. It’s good for the pocket as well. An EV can save you about €1,500 in the cost of running your car. It makes a lot of sense for people, and I want to continue to support that", said Darragh O'Brien.
