100 electric buses in Dublin sitting idle
A report that 100 electric buses ordered by Dublin Bus are sitting idle is symbolic of a wider electric vehicle charging infrastructure issue that is holding back EV adoption by public sector organisations and the business sector, according to connected transportation solutions provider, Geotab.
Geotab has highlighted comments by An Garda Síochána stating that “the issue of Charging Infrastructure became a challenge to progress” for the electrification of its fleet. This reflects the low rate of EV adoption by the public sector where only 3.8% of all State-owned vehicles (482 out of a total of 12,538) were electric at the end of 2022.
Geotab attributes this to ‘range anxiety’ whereby fleet owners have concerns about an EV battery charge to reach its destination, potentially leaving the vehicle stranded.
The relative lack of charging infrastructure on site at public sector bodies’ property exacerbates the issue, with An Garda Síochána stating that “it is not appropriate or safe for Garda vehicles to be left charging on public Charging points unattended.”
The same issue applies for the business community, where EV adoption stands in stark contrast to the level of the general public’s purchases of electric vehicles. Sales of electric light commercial vehicles only account for 2.6% year-to-date, with petrol and diesel vehicles accounting for a mammoth 97% of sales in 2023 thus far.
“EV adoption by public sector bodies and the business community is moving at a snail’s pace compared to the numbers being purchased by the general public,” said Geotab vice president, Ireland & UK, David Savage.
“The relative lack of EV charging infrastructure in Ireland is at the heart of the problem and the government has to invest by ensuring that chargers are available at every public sector property across the country and providing grants for businesses to install infrastructure on their premises.
“There isn’t a hope of the government meeting its carbon emissions targets for the transport sector or its target of having 940,000 EVs on the roads by 2030 unless it puts its money where its mouth is. While in some cases there are genuine reasons why the switch can’t be made due to the lack of comparable EV for certain vehicles, in many cases it can be done.”
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