Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2025
295. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport if he will implement a single mode of access for electric and hybrid car users, to avail of national car charging infrastructure, in order to avoid the necessity for multiple apps and accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1846/25]
View answerThe EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy is a pathway for the delivery of EV charge point infrastructure to support Ireland’s Climate Action Plan target to have an expected 30% of our private car fleet switched to electric by 2030.
The Strategy addresses EV infrastructure standards required to meet user needs as mandated through European regulations, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), and Irish legislation and regulations. These include interoperability; ease of payment; reliability; and accessibility standards and safety.
Under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), all Charge Point Operators (CPOs) have had to provide ad-hoc payment options on all installed new infrastructure since April 2024. All new charging infrastructure funded either privately or by the government will have to conform with this regulation. This ad-hoc payment capability will negate the requirement for users to hold an account with a CPO or access an app to pay for charging. In addition, all charging infrastructure with a capacity of greater than 50kW will have to retrospectively install this ad-hoc payment technology retrospectively by 2027.
In May 2024, Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland published the Universal Design Guidelines for EV Charging Infrastructure.
These Guidelines encourage anyone associated with the installation or operation of EV charging infrastructure to adopt the Universal Design principles and present recommendations for charging station design, site design, and information and communications. While they are not legally binding, the Guidelines do provide technical assistance to help entities design, install and operate EV charging infrastructure that is inclusive and easy to use.
