Electric vehicle (EV) users in the Cork area will benefit from a decision by Cork City Council to make EV parking available at number of city centre locations. EV parking has been possible with the introduction of new legislation by the Department of Transport, which allows local authorities to designate parking spaces for electric vehicle charging. This makes it a parking offence for vehicles not charging to park in these spaces and could lead to a fine.
Cork City Council is one of the first local authorities to give effect to these new parking regulations by reserving on-street parking for EV charging. This includes Copley Street (where there are four EV spaces) as well as South Mall and Lower Glanmire Road. In addition there are similar designated spaces in the county area including Cork County Hall – Carrigroghan Road, Monkstown and Blarney.
Ian Winning, Transportation Division, Cork City Council said: “More widespread use of EVs on trips to the city centre would contribute to a reduction in harmful emissions, less noise and improved energy efficiency. However, it is the EV drivers themselves that are selling the benefits of electromobility to other potential EV owners and they are helping to overcome the barriers to change. Cork City Council has a small fleet of EVs but, in this instance of the rollout of charge points, we wish to support the investment not least by EV owners themselves. EV drivers have been very positive about their experience of ‘going electric’ and they are mapping out options for the future, especially in the city centre.”
Cork City Council has also provided 50 free EV parking spaces at the Black Ash Park & Ride facility.
Donal Herraghty, Infrastructure Manager, ESB ecars added: “This initiative will allow EV drivers to access on-street charge points to re-charge their vehicle and will remove a major frustration for EV drivers who have often found a charging space blocked by a conventional fuelled vehicle. We are continuing with this rollout across Cork county and major urban areas across the country. This will complement Cork’s recent Drive4Zero initiative, promoting electromobility in the Cork region.”
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EV drivers in the Cork region are also able to take advantage of a number of incentives which are part of Drive4Zero www.drive4zero.ie initiative to promote the use of EVs in Cork City and surrounds Two EV charging facilities are now available at each Q-Park in the city and will incorporate free designated parking for up to four hours, enabling drivers to recharge their vehicle. As part of Drive4Zero, ESB will also be installing another two publicly-accessible charge points in two Cork City Council multi-storey car parks, North Main Street and Paul Street.
Electric Vehicles run at a fraction of the cost of conventional cars with annual motor tax of €120. They offer a great driving experience as well as providing a low carbon transport option for Irish motorists. ESB has rolled out a nationwide infrastructure of charge points across the country, bringing the total number of public charge points to 1,200 making it convenient for motorists to re-charge their EVs.
The EV network in the Republic is completely inter-operable with that of Northern Ireland, which means an EV driver can now drive seamlessly from Cork to Belfast using a common charging system from start to finish.
In addition, ESB is providing free home charge point for the first 2,000 purchasers of EVs that qualify for the SEAI grant, making it easy to charge the vehicle at home availing of low cost night time electricity. Further information about ESB is available at: www.esb.ie/ecars