More than 1,000 EV ‘juice points’ will be installed before end of 2011

Ireland is on course to become one of Europe’s most pro-electric vehicle (EV) nations, and recharging infrastructure provider Elektromotive has been engaged to get the country’s green motoring revolution under way.

As part of a pilot project co-ordinated by electricity supplier ESB, a total of 10 Elektrobay EV recharging posts are being installed in key locations across Ireland, and this week the first three units were connected to the grid in Dublin.  These are located on roadsides outside the Department for Energy, Sustainable Energy Ireland, and ESB’s headquarters.

Behind the EV infrastructure project is a broader plan to transform Irish transport – the Government wants at least 10 per cent of all cars on Irish roads to be EVs by 2020.  To turn that vision into reality, and to facilitate demand for EVs amongst consumers and businesses, the Government has announced a plan to install a network of more than 1,500 recharging stations before the end of 2011.

“The installation of these first 10 Elektrobay ‘juice points’ with ESB is just the beginning,” said Niall Doonan, Managing Director at Carra Group, reseller of Elektrobay units in Ireland.  “We have the rapidly-scalable installation expertise required to support the Government’s ambitious plans, and the Elektrobay is already proven outside Ireland to be the most robust, reliable and user-friendly EV recharging solution available.”

“Ireland is fast becoming an important growth market for us, and we are impressed with the vision and drive of the ESB and our supply partners, Carra Group, in making electric vehicles a viable proposition throughout the country,” said Calvey Taylor-Haw, Managing Director of Brighton-based Elektromotive.  “The Irish Government is setting an impressive standard for other European nations to follow in its drive for greener motoring, and we are uniquely placed to deploy the required infrastructure.”

The simple-to-operate Elektrobay was first introduced in Westminster, London, in 2006, and currently more than 135 units are installed across the UK capital.  A further 165 Elektrobay charging stations operate in cities and shopping centres around the UK.

Building on its success in the UK, Elektromotive is now seeing very significant growth in its export activity.  The company is currently working with national and local governments and organisations in Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and Saudi Arabia to roll-out the recharging infrastructures that will help accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles.  Over 300 Elektrobay units have so far been installed outside the UK.

For more information about Elektromotive, or to locate your nearest Elektrobay, please visit www.elektromotive.com.

To find out more about the ESB initiative, visit www.esb.ie/ecars.