ESB signs deal to back electric car scheme

THE GOVERNMENT has signed an agreement with the ESB and carmaker Renault-Nissan to increase radically the usage of electric vehicles.

The agreement, which is to provide infrastructure to support the Government target of making one-tenth of all road vehicles electrically powered by 2020, is to be announced by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan in Dublin Castle today.

It will detail the countrywide roll-out by the ESB of a network of refuelling points which will offer an alternative source of fuel to traditional petrol stations. The ESB is to also promote a special night-rate deal under which householders will be able to charge their cars.

Renault-Nissan, the merged French-Japanese carmaker, will undertake to provide new vehicles for the private user as well as delivery vans and other vehicles.

Electric bicycles with power-assisted pedals are not specified in today’s launch but were covered by the Government’s tax and PRSI rebate scheme to encourage commuting by bicycle.

The agreement will attempt to address many of the concerns about electric vehicles raised following last year’s launch of the 10 per cent target.

Earlier this year a conference on sustainable energy highlighted the fact that the capacity for recharging an estimated 250,000 passenger vehicles both at home and on the road is yet to be developed.

But Sustainable Energy Ireland chief executive Prof J Owen Lewis said renewable, wind and tidal energy could and should be harnessed to power the cars.

He told the conference in February that “significant investment in infrastructure will be required to facilitate even a modest deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland, as these vehicles require an extensive charging infrastructure which is not currently in place.”

None of the parties to the agreement were willing to comment yesterday on the cost and the scope of the new infrastructure but some described it as “major”.

SEI has previously said similar projects in Israel and Denmark cost about €200 million for a full rollout. The system would typically consist of kerbside and car park charging points and 500 battery exchange centres.