Sir, – Your leading article “Electric vehicles: making the switch” (July 23rd) misses the most important point about why we are unlikely to meet our target of 945,000 electric vehicles by 2030.
After more than three years with an electric car, I still suffer from “range anxiety” when travelling from one side of the country to another. Potential electric-vehicle owners tell me that this is their major reason for not making the switch.
I have a home charger and so start my outward journey with a fully charged vehicle, but I can’t get from my home in Dublin to the south, west or north coasts without a recharge along the way. Roadside fast chargers are few in number, and when found are often out of order or being used by other drivers.
As you suggest, the Government should incentivise the acquisition of home chargers but, more importantly, it should ensure a major programme of multiple fast chargers every 100km along the main routes between our major population centres. It is only when drivers are confident that they can get a fast recharge (as easily and as certainly as getting petrol) will they lose their range anxiety and decide to opt for electric vehicles.
This programme should be comprehensive and completed right away if we are to get anywhere near our electric vehicle targets by 2030. – Yours, etc,
COLM BARRINGTON,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.