The UK Government has announced £3.27 million funding will be given to upgrade the electric vehicle (EV) charging network across Northern Ireland.
Plans for funding allocation to enhance the public charging network include:
- replacing 100 fast chargers
- upgrading 20 unreliable fast chargers to rapid chargers
- introducing five high-power charging hubs with ability to charge multiple vehicles simultaneously in key locations
These upgrade, the Government has said, will deliver high power charging hubs in Northern Ireland for the first time. By easing chargepoint experience and tackling range anxiety, the funding aims to encourage the uptake of EVs across Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland’s EV market continues to experience growth. Earlier this month the chargepoint management company, Fuuse, announced that it was expanding into Northern Ireland. EV chargers powered by Fuuse are currently being installed at DCU Alpha in Dublin City University’s Innovation Campus.
Melanie Shufflebotham, COO and co-founder of Zap-Map, said: “Increased investment in public charging provision in Northern Ireland has been sorely needed for a long time, as drivers have been poorly served in comparison to the rest of the UK.
“Therefore any additional funding is to be welcomed as it’s vitally important that infrastructure keeps pace with growing demand.
“Although the majority of EV drivers charge at home, they still need to have confidence in en-route charging, especially for longer journeys.
“A faster and more reliable network will hopefully encourage even more drivers to switch to EVs and play their part in the transition to a cheaper and cleaner transport system.”
