The Irish Petrol Retailers Association (IPRA) said it would support a strategy to include more charging points in petrol stations but said fuel forecourt retailers needed to be given incentives to do so, Irishexaminer.ie has reported.
As countries such as the UK and France have announced plans to ban fossil fuel-driven vehicles from 2040, calls are increasing in Ireland 'to make electric cars friendlier for drivers’.
Recently, Transport Minister Shane Ross has outlined Irish plans to go electric by 2050, and reportedly is aiming to have a target of 800,000 electric vehicles on the roads by 2030.
“IPRA would be supportive of a strategy to encourage more charging points in principle but there needs to be more involvement with the sector." David Blevings, IPRA spokesman, said. "Retailers are currently asked to pay for the installation of a charging point with no clear proposals on return on investment and clarity around charges for electric vehicle users who currently top up free of charge.”
Blevings said more clarity was needed on how the extra electricity would be provided by the national grid if the plan to electrify transport was to work out.
“More worryingly is the lack of detail and clarity on where this extra electricity is coming from. We are being told to decarbonise heating and transport and move to more renewable sources but these renewable sources require an optimised and efficient delivery network," he concluded.
According to the ESB, there are 1,200 charging points across the country, with one in every town with a population of over 1,500.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
