Boosts for EV Drivers with announcements of new charging infrastructure, consultation on data sharing, and benefit schemes
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan today announced the launch of a second National Road Grant Scheme to support the development of high-powered EV recharging across Ireland’s National Road Network.
In addition, he launched a consultation on data sharing for EV users which will make it easier for drivers to get information on where they can recharge, as well as provide valuable strategic data to accelerate the growth of Ireland’s EV infrastructure.
These moves come on the back of extended Budget 2025 incentives on BIK (Benefit In Kind) for corporate drivers to drive the switch to EVs. Ireland was party to a European move earlier this week to encourage the corporate sector to go electric. Corporate cars represent more than half of all new cars in Europe, yet the sector is lagging behind the private adopter market.
The ZEVI TII EV Recharging Infrastructure Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) National Road Grant Scheme – Phase 2 (known as LDV 2), will target over 1,200 km of national single carriageway roads. It will support the roll-out of EV recharging infrastructure pools at a distance of no more than 60 km between them in each direction.
The Scheme is open to petrol / service station operators, car park owners, hotels, supermarkets / retail outlets, and anyone with a publicly accessible site within 3km driving distance of the Scheme roads.
This scheme is part of the wider ZEVI National Road Network EV Charging Plan, which earlier this year awarded grant funding to deliver 131 new high-powered recharging points for electric vehicles at 17 locations along the motorway/dual-carriageway network.
The EV recharging pools supported by both schemes are expected to be available for public use by the end of 2025. They will be followed by further schemes to increase EV recharging infrastructure availability across the National Road Network. These will, in turn, be supported by community-based schemes that target local destinations and neighbourhoods under the ZEVI Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan.
Commenting on the launch of the Scheme, Minister Ryan said:
“Over the next year, between the motorway scheme already underway and this new scheme targeted at our national road network, we are set to see an enormous increase in the number of fast-charging hubs available to drivers. We are spending €100 million on our charging infrastructure to the end of 2025, and I want to see that exhausted as quickly as possible. EVs are an important part of our transport mix going forward and we want to make it easier for people to make the switch. Providing comfort of mind with more choice and availability of charging infrastructure is key to this.”
Peter Walsh, CEO of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, said:
“This scheme is one of several initiatives to support the objectives of the National Road EV Charging Network Plan. While the initial Scheme focused on installing EV rechargers along the motorway network, this new initiative broadens coverage to include more of the National Road Network, ensuring reliable access to recharging for a wider range of road users across the country. These efforts are key to building a more sustainable and efficient transport system nationwide.”
The application window for the Scheme will run from 17 October 2024 to 15 January 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in early 2025. The new infrastructure funded under this Scheme is targeted to be available for public use by December 2025.
Further information is available at www.tii.ie/evscheme. All submissions should be made through https://www.etenders.gov.ie before noon on 15 January 2025.
Minister Ryan also launched a public consultation on the Draft Strategy for Data Concerning Electric Vehicles Recharging Infrastructure.
The aim of the ZEVI Data Strategy is to ensure that there is high-quality data regarding the public EV recharging infrastructure in Ireland.
It will set out a road map to deliver the required infrastructure and systems to collect and share high-quality data on the deployment, operation, and use of Ireland’s public EV charging infrastructure. This will enable EV drivers to get valuable information from other data users, and facilitate data sharing with ZEVI, the Department of Transport, and other state agencies involved in the national Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP24).
It will provide more transparency, especially when it comes to pricing, and it will tell drivers which operator owns the recharging point, whether the recharging point is compatible, the power capacity, and whether it’s operational or in use at the time. It also describes how Ireland will meet its regulatory obligations under the Intelligent Transport Systems Directive and Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation.
The consultation opens today (17 October) and will run until 29 November. A revised draft of the Strategy for Data Concerning Electric Vehicles Recharging Infrastructure will be published in early 2025.
These initiatives follow the Budget measures announced earlier this month that include extending the Benefit-in-Kind exemption on EV home charging, amending the current N1 categorisation for light commercial vehicles to reflect the increased weight of electric N1 vehicles, extending the current €45,000, 0% threshold for BIK until 2026 and amending the accelerated capital allowance threshold to incentivise the use of cleaner vehicles on the road.
A new BIK rate for Battery Electric Vehicles is also being considered from 2026, to give company car drivers the security to make the switch to electric.
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