Sir, – What is not mentioned in Neil Briscoe's article "What's the state of play with Ireland's electric-vehicle charging network?" (Motors, August 11th) is Dublin City Council's position on parking while charging an electric vehicle on the streets of our capital.
The cost to charge a electric-vehicle shoots up from just over €2 to nearly €18 when parking is included – making the economics of owning a hybrid in Dublin impossible unless you have access to off-street parking.
Dublin City Council’s position, when asked recently, is that it understands parking charges are a disincentive to electric-vehicle ownership in the city but it has no plans to change – a puzzling if not entirely wrongheaded stance, in my view.
With the above said, the addition of more charging points would not necessarily increase access to electric-vehicle charging while Dublin City Council maintains its position on parking.
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Furthermore, I have learned that the providers of charging points are currently not regulated, and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities has confirmed that it has no remit here.
It seems like it’s the Wild West out there, if only you could find a charger for your horse! – Yours, etc,
JOHN DOYLE,
Dublin 8.