This week, Renault revealed plans to launch an electric vehicle in Ireland in 2011, while the ESB reconfirmed its commitment to Government targets, writes Paddy Comyn
LIKE A GOOD summer, world cup qualification and strong political leadership, Ireland has been waiting for electric cars with no small degree of anticipation. Now it would appear that we can start marking our calendars. News that the first charging points for electric cars in Ireland will be running before Easter in Dublin – outside the ESB headquarters on Fitzwilliam Street, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on Adelaide Road and the IDA/Sustainability Ireland HQ on Wilton Place – signals what we are told will be the start of a rollout of 1,500 charging points by the end of 2011.
Despite the fact that just one electric vehicle has been registered this year, with even sales of hybrid vehicles vastly outstripped by bioethanol powered cars, ESB remains confident of reaching Government targets of 10 per cent of all vehicles on Irish roads being electric by 2020 and insists that, despite economic distractions, the Government is committed.
“Even if there are difficulties due to the recession, that might set it back a year or two – which is nothing when you look at a long-term horizon,” says Senan McGrath, ESB’s head of sustainability for networks. “We have every assurance that they are committed.” McGrath says ESB is looking at a network of about 30 DC fast chargers, so that on all of the major routes there would be DC fast chargers where you could charge the car to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. These would be every 60km.” McGrath says ESB will not put in battery exchange stations as part of their network but will co-operate with anyone who wants to. “They are very expensive and, while it is something we would look at, it isn’t something that would be part of our network at the first rollout.”
One brand working closely with the ESB and the Government, providing some of the first electric vehicles in Ireland, is Renault. Speaking at a press conference this week to reveal the diesel-powered Fluence, which will go on sale in Ireland in April, the company confirmed it would be offering a full-sized electric-powered version of the car in just 18 months. The Fluence ZE Concept was shown at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show as part of a four-car electric line-up and it is promised to have a 160km range. The Fluence and Kangoo EV models will be followed by two more electric vehicles.
Renault Ireland veteran John Sullivan will be in charge of electric vehicles for the brand in Ireland. He told Motors the brand is working with the ESB and the Government to ensure the rollout of vehicles goes smoothly and that they will provide a product that cam be charged using a variety of methods.
“The Renault product will have three options of charging. We have slow domestic charge, which is normal phase. We will have three-phase, which is industrial, and we will have drop charge, where we exchange the battery on long journeys.”
Sullivan says ownership of the battery is likely to be separate from vehicle ownership, in order to lower cost. “The way pricing is being established is that the cost of the car will be on a par to an equivalent diesel vehicle on sale today. The battery is going to be a leased facility, and you will lease your electricity charge, like your domestic charge, to run the battery and to run the vehicle. It is hoped the ESB will take on the repurchase of batteries for second-life use and re-use the unused energy of the battery back into the network again.”
Ireland is seen by many as the perfect test-bed for the rollout of electric vehicles across Europe and this is a point that hasn’t been lost on Renault Ireland’s managing director Eric Bassett.
“The size of the country and the distance between point A and point B in this country makes ideal for us as a manufacturer to test the usage conditions and battery issues, and we can say that if it works in Ireland, there is no reason it shouldn’t work elsewhere. So if we want a real test with real conditions, this is the perfect country. It is easier for a manufacturer to validate its working hypothesis in a country like Ireland . . . What we have to do now is to make it economically viable.”
