Carlow TD has welcomed new infrastructure to aid electric car users in the area

EV drivers in Carlow and Kilkenny will soon find it easier to recharge their electric cars as a new charging centre is to be built at the Applegreen in Paulstown, Kilkenny next year. The new centre will be one of 17 EV charging pools providing a total of 131 high-powered charging points that will be rolled out across the country by 2025.

Green Party TD for Carlow Kilkenny Malcolm Noonan has welcomed the announcement and says the location of the charging centre just off the M9 and close to the Carlow Kilkenny border makes it hugely beneficial to drivers in both Carlow and Kilkenny.

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“This is a great initiative that will help plug drivers in Carlow and Kilkenny into the future of electric vehicles and ease our reliance on fossil fuels. Electric vehicles are cleaner cars with lower emissions and that makes them an important part of the green transition.

“These recharging pools will go some way towards making electric vehicles an option for many people who wouldn’t have considered them viable in the past, and with this new motorway network closing the gap between charge points to just 45km, they will be an option for both short trips and long journeys because drivers will know they can easily recharge their car at regular intervals. With no more uncertainty about how far it might be to the next charge point, and no more waiting in line for use of the charger, this will really be a gamechanger for those who currently drive or want to drive an EV.

“I think for people in Carlow and Kilkenny in particular the appeal of an EV is already very strong. Many of us across both counties have the advantage of living in houses where we have the space to charge at home, and we know we can choose an electricity tariff that makes good financial sense for people who are charging EVs. This scheme will back this advantage up, it will help people get over that ‘range anxiety’ and offer every EV driver reliability once they hit the road, and beyond that it will help ensure some reliability of access to a charge point for those who maybe can’t charge their car at home. The new recharging pool in Paulstown will also attract passing drivers, so it won’t just help local people on their journeys, it will attract people to the area and boost local business.”

This initiative is part of the Green Party’s plan to bolster Ireland’s electric vehicle recharging infrastructure and promote sustainable transport. Each of these recharging pools provides banks of ultra-fast recharging points, so that people can charge their vehicles quickly. The average distance between recharging pools will be 45 km.