The ESB has unveiled its first eight bay, high power electric vehicle charging hub.
Located at Junction 14, Mayfield on the M7, Monasterevin, Co Kildare, the high power charging hub is said to be capable of providing 100km of charge in as little as six minutes.
The bay will contain three high power chargers (350kW ) and one fast charger (50kW ) which can charge up to eight EVs at any one time.
The launch of the high power EV charging hub is part of a €20m investment programme financed by the Government’s Climate Action Fund and ESB, which will see the expansion and enhancement of the public EV charging network.
ESB aims to deliver 50 hubs as it continues to invest in the upgrade of its charging infrastructure.
Under the Climate Action Fund project, ESB has already installed six high power hubs allowing three EVs to charge at one time, has replaced more than 590 charge points, and upgraded 31 chargers to faster speeds.
Marguerite Sayers, executive director of customer solutions at ESB, says this high power EV charging hub represents a significant milestone in working to meet the growing number of EVs on Ireland’s roads.
“This new 350kW high power charging hub, as part of our overall upgrade works, will significantly reduce charging time for EV users,” she says. “When you couple this with at-home charging, it really signifies a positive next step for current and future EV drivers in Ireland.”
When complete, the high power hub network across the country will cater for significantly large numbers of EVs. There are three tiers of high power charging hubs – tier one allows up to eight EVs to charge at any one time; tier two allows up to four EVs to charge at any one time; and tier three allows up to three EVs to charge at any one time.
The high-power charging hubs are dramatically faster than current charging infrastructure and are capable of providing a 100km range to EV drivers in as little as six minutes. Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, says the availability of high-power charging infrastructure on key national routes is critical for EV drivers who need to travel longer distances.
“Through our Climate Action Fund, we will continue to invest and maintain a world-class national charging network that supports the country’s transition to EVs,” Minster Ryan says. “This new hub, launched by ESB, and the others that will follow, will encourage more drivers to go electric, cut their fuel costs and reduce our carbon emissions.”
