Ireland can meet its target of making 10% of all road vehicles electric by 2020; however, significant large scale infrastructural changes will be required, including developing the capacity for recharging an estimated 250,000 passenger vehicles, according to Prof. Lewis, Chief Executive, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), speaking at the conference on Electric Vehicle and Sustainable Transport in Dublin recently.

The conference is organised jointly by SEI and the ESB who have announced the introduction of a number of electric vehicles to the fleet operated by its networks business.

Prof. Lewis said; “Interest in the use of electric vehicles is growing worldwide and Ireland is moving to prepare the way for this emerging form of transport …Ireland has a significant renewable energy potential in the form of wind and ocean energy. As these provide a variable supply of energy, with large amounts sometimes available at night time when our system demand is low, electric vehicles charging at night time will allow us to manage this renewable resource more effectively.”
 
“The reason that a significant investment in infrastructure will be required to facilitate even a modest deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland, is that these vehicles require an extensive charging infrastructure which is not currently in place. This infrastructure also needs to be integrated with a supply of renewable electricity.  This conference is examining the policy considerations necessary to facilitate the development of such an infrastructure. This will require a high level of cooperation between both public and private bodies, as has been demonstrated in pilot projects undertaken in other territories,” added Prof. Lewis.
 
According to SEI, passenger fleet owners in Ireland are best placed to initially benefit from the efficiencies of electric vehicles, which could reduce fuel-running costs by up to 50%. Ownership costs over the life of the vehicle tend to be higher at present due to the capital costs; however it is expected that with increased production and technology development this cost can be quickly reduced. There is an increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles for consumers and fleet owners to choose from, and the associated battery and charging technology is developing rapidly.