Homeowners will be able to rent out the use of their electric vehicle (EV) chargers to members of the public through an online platform under a new pilot scheme seeking to promote more sustainable transport.
On Monday, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien announced several actions aimed at accelerating the transition to EVs, including one which seeks to address difficulties around access to home chargers.
The “shared charging pilot scheme” will enable homeowners to rent out their EV chargers through a booking platform.
This, the department said, will “offer cost-effective charging options for EV owners who don’t have private off-street parking”.
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The pilot will be supported by Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland and will be rolled out in urban, suburban and rural areas.
The shared charging scheme will aim to make EV charging more accessible and affordable while easing demand on public infrastructure, said Mr O’Brien.
The data gathered will be used to inform future charging roll-out plans and help shape policies, he added.
Another initiative that was announced is a grant towards the purchase of new electric motorcycles.
It will be administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and funded by the Department of Transport in conjunction with Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland. The scheme offers grants for various vehicle categories.
For motorcycles with a maximum speed of 45km/h, there will be a €500 grant available, while faster vehicles can secure a €1,000 grant.
A grant scheme offering subsidies for taxi, hackney and limousine operators to switch to EVs will continue in 2025 with a budget of €12.5 million.
Under the scheme, individuals can be eligible for up to €20,000 or, for wheelchair-accessible models, up to €25,000.
Since its inception in 2018, this scheme has helped more than 2,800 small public service vehicle operators, said the department.
According to the most recent figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, January was a record-breaking month for EV sales after a slump throughout the last year. A total of 4,925 were registered last month, a 20 per cent increase compared to the same month last year.
However, the number registered throughout 2024 was 24 per cent lower than the previous 12 months.
According to the Government’s EV Infrastructure Strategy 2022 to 2025, the majority (80 per cent) of EV charging is done at home.
The strategy said a “more significant gap” exists concerning the provision of publicly accessible charging infrastructure, adding that demand for this will grow as EV uptake increases countrywide.
According to the SEAI, there are more than 2,500 public charging points on the island of Ireland.
The climate action plan set out an ambition that nearly one in three private cars will be electric by 2030.
