Front Matter

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2025

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2025

ZEVI, Department of transport

Table of Contents

Acronyms and Definitions 4

Minister’s Foreword 8

Introduction 9

Figure from page 4

4.1 Innovating for the Future: EV Charging for Local Conditions and Diverse User Needs

33

4.2 Case Studies 33

4.2.1 Case Study 1: On-Street Kerbside Charge Points in European Cities

4.2.2 Case Study 2: Vehicle-to-Grid Charging System in Oslo Car Park

4.2.3 Case Study 3: Wireless Charging in Rotterdam 38

4.2.4 Case Study 4: Planning for Dublin’s EV Needs: The Dublin Local Authority EV Infrastructure Strategy

39

4.2.5 Case Study 5: Rural EV Infrastructure and Innovation: The Dingle Project 40

4.2.6 Case Study 6: Fingal County ‘e-Mobility Hubs’ 41

4.2.7 Case Study 7: En-Route High-Power Charging and Charging Pools in Ireland

42

Delivering Infrastructure	43
5.1 Infrastructure Designed for Users 44
5.2 What Will Be Delivered 44
5.3 Risks and Dependencies 44
5.4. EV Infrastructure Standards 46
5.5 National Publicly-Accessible Infrastructure Targets 47
5.6 Existing Exchequer Supports for Charging Infrastructure 48
5.6.1 Home Charging 48
5.6.2 Residential/Neighbourhood Charging 48
5.6.3 Top-Up Charging (Destination and En-Route) 50
5.7 New Infrastructure Supports to Deliver for User Needs: 50
5.7.1 Home Charging/Shared Charging 50
5.7.2 Residential Charging 51
5.7.3 Destination Charging 51
5.8 En-Route Charging Network 52
5.9 Heavy-Duty Vehicle Charging Hubs 54
Implementation	56
6.1 Governmental and Collaborative Structures 57
6.2 Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) 57
6.2.1 Public Sector Energy Delivery Group 58
6.2.2 Public Sector EV Infrastructure Delivery Group 58
6.2.3 Public-Private Infrastructure Stakeholder Group 58
6.2.4 Public-Private Vehicles Stakeholder Group 60
6.3 What’s Been Achieved Since Publication of the Draft Strategy 62
6.4 Overview of Implementation Plan 66
Appendix A Personas & Journeys	67
Appendix B EV Basics	82

Acronyms and Definitions

AC Alternating current AFIR Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation BESS Battery energy storage system BEV Battery electric vehicle CAF Climate Action Fund CCS Combined charging system CAP Climate Action Plan CARO Climate Action Regional Office CCMA County and City Management Association CRU Commission for Regulation of Utilities DAA Dublin Airport Authority DC Direct current DoT Department of Transport ECA European Court of Auditors ERS Electric roads systems ESBN Electricity Supply Board Networks eSPSV Electric small public service vehicle EU European Union EV Electric vehicle EVPP Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway GDP Gross domestic product HGV/HDV Heavy goods/duty vehicle HPC High power charger ICE Internal combustion engine IEA International Energy Agency LDV Light Duty Vehicle LEV Low-emission vehicle LGMA Local Government Management Agency MaREI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine NEWKD North East West Kerry Development NSAI National Standards Authority of Ireland NTA National Transport Authority OEM Original equipment manufacturer OGP Office of Government Procurement PHEV Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle PMO Project Management Office SDG Sustainable Development Goal SEAI Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland SFI Science Foundation Ireland SIMI Society of the Irish Motor Industry T&E Transport and Environment TEN-T Trans-European Transport Network TII Transport Infrastructure Ireland UK OSEV United Kingdom Office for Zero Emission Vehicles UN United Nations V2G Vehicle-to-Grid V2H Vehicle-to-House ZEVI Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland

‘Avoid, Shift, Improve’ Approach

1

The ‘Avoid, Shift, Improve’ approach presents a framework for structuring policy measures. Inspired by the principles of sustainability, the approach seeks to achieve significant carbon emission reductions, reduced energy consumption, and less congestion, with the final objective of creating more liveable cities. The approach entails three pillars:

Avoid: This refers to the need to improve the efficiency of the transport system. Through integrated landuse planning and transport demand management, the trip length (and even the need to travel at all) may be reduced.

Shift: The ‘shift’ instruments seek to improve trip efficiency. A shift from the most energy-consuming urban transport mode (i.e. cars) towards more environmentally-friendly modes (such as active travel or public transport) is highly desirable.

Improve: The ‘improve’ component focuses on vehicle and fuel efficiency as well as on the optimisation and innovation of transport infrastructure. It aims to improve the energy efficiency of transport modes and related vehicle technology. Furthermore, it acknowledges the potential of alternative energy use.

Charge Point

A charge point is a fixed or mobile interface that allows for the transfer of electricity to an electric vehicle. It is only capable of charging one electric vehicle at a time, although it may have multiple outlets in order to accommodate different connector types.

Charge Point Categories

Category	Sub-category	Maximum Power Output	Definition
Category 1 (AC)	Slow AC charging point, single- phase	P < 7.4 kW	Normal- power charging point
	Medium-speed AC charging point, triple-phase	7.4 kW ≤ P ≤ 22 kW
	Fast AC charging point, triple- phase	P > 22 kW	High-power charging point
Category 2 (DC)	Slow DC charging point	P < 50 kW
	Fast DC charging point	50 kW ≤ P < 150 kW
	Level 1 - Ultra-fast DC charging point	150 kW ≤ P < 350 kW
	Level 2 - Ultra-fast DC charging point	P ≥ 350 kW

1 https://www.transformative-mobility.org/assets/publications/ASI_TUMI_SUTP_iNUA_No-9_April-2019.pdf

Charging Pool

A charging pool consists of one or more charging stations at a specific location, including (in some instances) the dedicated parking spaces adjacent to them.

Charging Station

A charging station is a physical installation for the charging of electric vehicles. Every station has a theoretical maximum power output, expressed in kW. Every station has at least one charge point that can serve only one vehicle at a time. The number of charge points at a charging station determines the number of vehicles that can be charged at that station at any given time. Where more than one vehicle charges simultaneously at a charging station, the maximum power output is distributed to the different charge points. As a result, the power provided at each individual charge point is lower than the overall power output of that station.

Connector

EV Charging Connectors are the end-point physical interfaces that are fixed on the charging cable and get attached to the electric vehicle to facilitate charging.

Disability Act 2005

The Disability Act 2005 provides a statutory basis for accessible public services. Sections 26, 27, 28, and 29 place obligations on public bodies to make their services and information accessible to people with disabilities. Under the Disability Act 2005, local authorities must consider how the services they provide impact on people with disabilities. The impact of these services can be evaluated as follows:

MAccess to quality customer services

MAccess to the built environment

MAccess to services delivered via information and communication technology

2

Just Transition

Just Transition is a vision-led set of principles, processes, and practices that seeks to ensure that the substantial benefits of a green economy transition are shared widely, while also supporting those who stand to lose economically – be they countries, regions, industries, communities, workers or consumers.

3

Just Transition Fund

The Just Transition Fund is a financial instrument within the Cohesion Policy which aims to provide support to territories facing serious socio-economic challenges arising from the transition towards climate neutrality.

2 https://climatejusticealliance.org/just-transition/

3 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/214/just-transition-fund

Publicly-Accessible Charging Station

Publicly-accessible charging stations are charging stations that are available to all (or a specific public grouping of) EV drivers. This includes charging stations that are privately-owned but accessible to the public. Publicly-accessible charging stations can be located on either public properties (such as public car parks) or private properties (such as supermarket car parks).

In some cases, a charging station may be located on private property, with access granted to a specific public group of users (such as clients or patients). Such a charging station would still be considered to be publicly-accessible.

However, if a charging station (located on private property) is only available to a very limited, determinate circle of persons, it cannot be classed as publicly-accessible. An example of this is a charging station in an office car park, where only employees or authorised persons have access.

Charging stations for car-sharing schemes should only be considered accessible to the public if they explicitly allow access for third-party users.

Universal Design Principles

In Ireland, Universal Design is defined in the Disability Act 2005, and is summarised by the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design as:

‘The design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of their age, size or disability. This includes public places in the built environment such as buildings, streets or spaces that the public have access to; products and services provided in those places; and systems that are available including information and communications technology.’

Interoperability

Interoperability, in its widest sense, is the ability of computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information. In the case of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, achieving an interoperable ecosystem means that the available information and payment options allow any user to easily charge any model of electric vehicle at any charging station.

Minister’s Foreword

The Government is deeply committed to its efforts to decarbonise private transport. I firmly believe that through our collective efforts, we can deliver on our climate objectives. The National Development Plan dedicates €1bn towards decarbonisation of transport in the period up to 2030. This funding will assist the transport sector to reduce its carbon emissions and to transform our communities into healthier places to live.

With ever-increasing numbers of EVs on Irish roads, we need to stay ahead of charging demand. Without a doubt, most of us will charge our EVs at home. However, having access to a seamless public network that complements this and provides for ‘on-the-go’ charging solutions is a critical component of our pathway to placing almost 1 million electric vehicles on our roads by 2030.

In doing so, we welcome the opportunity to work alongside the public sector, industry, and the private citizen in the shared delivery of a publicly-accessible infrastructure network. Given the current strong rates of EV adoption in the Irish market, it is clear that the next three years will be pivotal, with a rapid expansion of the charging network needed to match increasing demand. This will bring significant investment opportunities within the Irish market as work begins to expand the existing network and new technologies are embraced.

At this early stage in our adoption of EVs there is an opportunity for us to build upon lessons learnt elsewhere and to take on board the views of Irish EV drivers, stakeholder groups, and citizens to shape our policy. ZEVI received 14,000 responses to the draft EV Infrastructure Strategy (which included over 3,000 EV drivers), as well as comprehensive responses and engagement from the industry stakeholders. ZEVI have revised and refocused this strategy to shape the delivery of a network of publicly-accessible infrastructure that is world class in terms of the interoperability, coverage, and equity.

This strategy forms part of a wider set of actions and initiatives aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in Ireland. These are set out in the Government’s Climate Action Plan 2023.

Figure from page 10

Innovation is at the heart of this process. As new technologies emerge related to the vehicles, batteries, and charging methodologies, it is essential that we continuously review our intended approach. Doing so will allow us to take advantage of new developments to hasten the transition to electrification of transport and to ensure the transition itself is just.

Through initiatives such as the Shared Island Fund and the Just Transition Fund, the Government will explore and implement the provision of targeted infrastructure to benefit communities and increase access to EVs across the island of Ireland. This will have co-benefits across other sectors such as tourism and heritage.

Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Transport

Introduction

What will this Strategy do?

This strategy is a pathway for delivery of electric vehicle (EV) charge point infrastructure. Such infrastructure will support the delivery of the Climate Action Plan ambition of almost a million EVs on Irish roads by 2030. The strategy will also help to ensure that EV charge point infrastructure provision remains ahead of demand.

This strategy reflects the urgent need for action to address climate change and the need for a strategic and just transition to sustainable ways of travelling. It considers the different charging needs of urban and rural communities. It also takes into account the current trajectory of EV uptake and the increasing demand that will be placed on electricity distribution networks as more car users switch to electric options.

to meet the needs of citizens to 2030, the finer detail is mainly focused on the years up to 2025.

The Government, through the National Development Plan, has allocated €100m in the period to 2025 to support investment in EV charging infrastructure. It is anticipated that this will leverage multiples of that figure in private funding, all of which will help to deliver the strategy.

In the coming years, as EVs become mainstream, we expect to see increasing uptake of homecharging solutions for EV owners, as well as an increased demand for a seamless public charging network.

In order to coordinate and oversee the delivery of the strategy, the Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) office was established in July 2022. This office sits within the Department of Transport and reports regularly to the Minister.

As part of the shift away from fossil fuels, as well as the fundamental transformation of the transport sector, electric vehicle technology is changing rapidly, with new technologies being developed and introduced to the market at speed. Anticipated developments include electric technologies for hard-to-decarbonise transport modes, such as heavy-duty vehicles. The rollout of electric buses (and associated charging infrastructure) will continue, along with emerging technological solutions for heavy goods vehicles.

In 2025, the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy will be reviewed, with an updated version published for the years 2026- 2030. This will review progress to date, and will reassess and refine the provisions, initiatives, and funding pathways set out in the following pages.

The years from 2022 to 2025 will also see continued development of policy to support the growth of micromobility and multimodal travel, including the use of e-scooters and e-bikes. Due to their lower-energy charging requirements, charging provision for these forms of transport remains outside the scope of this strategy and falls under the remit of the Sustainable Mobility Policy.

Existing, innovative, and future technologies are considered in the strategy. They have been integrated into the planned structures for infrastructure delivery and implementation.

In this fast-changing context, while the overall trajectory of action is clear, it is more difficult to predict specific details about the charge point types and interfaces that will be available by the end of this decade. For that reason, while this strategy sets out the long-term structures and frameworks that will be put in place to deliver a comprehensive national EV charging network

At the opposite end of the vehicle scale, the development of decarbonisation options for freight, and the rollout of pilot technology for that sector, will progress further in the coming years. Guided by European requirements, the strategy outlines a minimum provision of motorway charging infrastructure dedicated to HGVs

by 2025. Collaboration and engagement with the haulage sector and other key stakeholders (including ESBN and EirGrid) will be key to planning the decarbonisation pathway for this sector. ZEVI will work with policy colleagues in the freight sector to determine the best way of providing charging infrastructure for these types of vehicles.

of charging infrastructure. Each serves a different user need and depends on where and when people need to charge their EVs.

• Home/apartment charging - AC, off-peak

charging to be encouraged.

• Residential neighbourhood charging -

AC, replicating off-peak charging options for people without access to a home charge point.

What will be delivered

• Destination charging - AC or DC, depending

Currently, the majority of EV charging (c.80%) is done at home, and access to and installation of home-charging infrastructure is relatively well established in Ireland. A more significant gap exists in relation to the provision of publicly-accessible charging infrastructure. The demand for this will grow as EV uptake increases in Ireland.

on the type of destination.

• Motorway/en-route charging - DC high-

powered charging at highest charge power capacities.

The strategy focuses on the provision of publiclyaccessible charging infrastructure for electric cars and light-duty vehicles. The strategy also addresses the needs of heavy-duty vehicles as required by EU regulations. It identifies four main categories

Figure from page 12

User Needs

Understanding the user experience has been of paramount importance in the development of this strategy. It continues to be a key part of the implementation phase. In order to put users at the centre of EV infrastructure planning, we have developed seven characters and their user journeys to show how people may interact with the future EV public charging network. The development of these personas has been supported by feedback received during the consultation process. The profiles begin to explore the users’ specific requirements and how EV charging provision will need to evolve over the coming years to respond to context, scale, and opportunity. An in-depth exploration of each persona’s key moments and user journey is included as an appendix. Here is a brief overview of each:

Caroline, the Car Sharer

When Caroline rents an EV from a car-sharing app at weekends, she wants to make sure the car has a full charge or that there are fast-charging facilities along the way or at her destination.

Tara, the Taxi Driver

When Tara is working as a taxi driver in West Cork, she wants to be sure she always has a full charge. She doesn’t want to have to turn down potential fares because her car doesn’t have enough range.

Ruairí, the Rural Commuter

When Ruairí commutes to work, he wants to feel confident that he will have enough charge to comfortably drive the long distance there and back. He also wants to be able to bring his daughter to camogie training when he gets home.

Anna, the Apartment Dweller

When Anna wants to charge her car in her apartment block, she wants to have access to an available charger (or know when they will be readily available). She doesn’t want to have to worry about charger hogging or queueing endlessly for an available charger.

Mike, the HGV Driver

When Mike is driving across the country in his HGV, he needs to be able to top up his battery en route. This needs to be in a safe location so that he can rest while his HGV charges.

Rachel, the Retired Urban Dweller

When Rachel is charging her car on the go, she wants to be able to check in advance that the charger will be accessible to her. Rachel has limited mobility, so she wants to know that her chosen charger will be suitable for her needs.

The Jacksons, a Tourist Family

When the Jackson family travel in Ireland, they want to have a seamless EV experience. They want to be able to rent an EV and have charging facilities available at each of their destinations (including the remote ones). They don’t want to worry about being stranded or lost on their holiday in Ireland.

Strategy structure

The Strategy consists of Six chapters along with two appendices:

The first chapter sets out the policy context for the delivery of infrastructure in Ireland and sets the scene for planned future action by Government.

Chapter Five sets out the delivery mechanisms, planned funding streams and instruments through which Government and state bodies will deliver a targeted infrastructure programme.

Chapter Two sets out the fundamental principles underpinning the Strategy and the delivery of infrastructure, including a commitment to a people-centred approach and a Just Transition to EV technologies.

In the final Chapter Six, the organisational structures and actions that have been put in place to coordinate, target and support implementation of this Strategy are described. This chapter also gives an overview of the Implementation Plan and those actions that have been completed since the publication of the draft Strategy.

Chapter Three outlines the interaction between network demand and electricity grid and energy systems, setting out the likely electricity demand by 2030 to power Ireland’s electric vehicles, and identifying how demand might be met by different categories of charging infrastructure

Appendix A includes an in-depth exploration of each persona’s key moments and user journey.

Appendix B defines basic concepts related to electric vehicles and charging technology.

Chapter Four considers existing and future EV charge point technologies through several case studies, including how these technologies can be applied in different international and national contexts.

”

This strategy reflects the urgent need for action to address climate change and

the need for a strategic and just transition to sustainable

ways of travelling.

CHAPTER

1

Policy and

Context

The United Nations has identified climate change as the defining crisis of our time4 and in 2019, Ireland became the second country in the world to declare a climate emergency5. Science tells us that through human actions, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, our world is heating. This is leading to rapid changes in weather patterns, with many negative impacts on connected natural and human environments6. Nationally and internationally, fast and meaningful action to reduce global warming has been identified as a priority, with a focus on limiting emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Council of the Houses of the Oireachtas) was formally adopted. These carbon budgets placed legally-binding limits on the level of emissions that may be released during a specific time period. This was the first time such limits had been introduced.