New Electric Vehicle analysis reveals good news for Mayo EV drivers

Mayo has been ranked third nationally in terms of the availability of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure throughout the county.

Geotab, a global leader in connected transportation solutions, revealed the results of the recent analysis of the national charging infrastructure which shows that there is almost one EV charger for every Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) sold in Co Mayo.

There are currently 124 public chargers located around Co Mayo and with 820 BEVs sold in the county over the past ten years, Geotab found that Mayo has one charger for approximately 6.61 BEVs in the county.

This puts Mayo near the top of the table, with Kerry coming out on top with one EV charger for every six (5.90) BEVs in the county. The Kingdom ranks slightly ahead of Longford (5.93) and Mayo (6.61) based on the analysis of ten years of Battery Electric Vehicle sales in each county and the latest public EV charging infrastructure data available locally.

While the ratio of BEVs to public charging infrastructure is now at its best level ever, the Geotab analysis has identified some inconsistencies regarding the high levels of availability across the country. While counties like Kerry, Longford and Mayo have six chargers on average for every BEV sold in the county, this rises sixfold to 36 in Meath. Similarly, Waterford (26) and Louth (23) also have less public charging infrastructure available to BEV owners compared to other counties.

Commenting on the analysis, Phil Barnes, Geotab Business Development Manager - Ireland and UK, said: “While the majority of people charge their EVs at home, public chargers are a crucial piece of infrastructure that give people peace of mind that they can get from A to B without being worried about being stuck at the side of the road. Whether it’s a taxi driver working a long shift or a family taking a trip from one end of the country to the other, people want to know they can get access to a charger if they need one.

“The latest data is really positive as it illustrates how quickly the charging network is expanding and catching up with the amount of service stations available for traditional vehicles. The ambition and measures set out in the Programme for Government to substantially increase the number of public charging points, putting us ahead of the European average, and reduce the average distance between EV recharging points will help increase the momentum behind the adoption of zero emission vehicles in Ireland,” he said.

Charging anxiety has been a factor in the slow adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles, with the public opting for hybrid vehicles for a sense of security, with a 24 percent growth in new hybrid cars licensed in the first eleven months of the year.

Progress has been made, however, with the Government announcing its National Road EV Charging Network Plan earlier this year with a commitment to have recharging stations every 60 km.