Article:E-car 'juice points' launched in Dublin

Seth Brundle

E-car 'juice points' launched in Dublin

26/03/2010 - 12:33:32

On-street charging points for electric cars are to be rolled out in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford by the end of next year.

The ESB unveiled the first four kerbside points in Dublin today.

Drivers are being invited to register for the "juice point" service, after which they will be able to charge their electric cars at any of these points. Charging will take about an hour and a half and can also be done at home.

The Government hopes to have 10% of all cars powered by electricity by 2020.

The service will be free until the end of next year. From then, it will cost around €2.50 to charge a car to travel around 160 kilometres.

Managing Director of ESB E-cars Paul Mullvaney said the potential for cost-saving would entice people to go electric.

"It will be considerably cheaper than (using) petrol to drive your car," he said.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/text/ireland/eyojkfojaumh/


Lovely clean pollution-less energy (just don't ask where the electricity comes from)

jimmycrackcorm

What I don't understand is how these charging points will be utilised. I.e. are these specific parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles? How long will it take to charge a car?

The Recliner

I walked past an electric Mini being charged at one of them yesterday evening on Fitzwilliam street lower

It was gone a while later when I passed again and the charge point was covered up so I am not sure it is fully ready yet

I am sure the road will be marked for electric car use only but it hasn't yet

robtri

The Recliner wrote: »

I walked past an electric Mini being charged at one of them yesterday evening on Fitzwilliam street lower

It was gone a while later when I passed again and the charge point was covered up so I am not sure it is fully ready yet

I am sure the road will be marked for electric car use only but it hasn't yet

probably just testing the charger as the official opening of the charge points was this morning iirc

pajo1981

kbannon wrote: »

Just don't ask where the electricity comes from

Why not?

Del2005

pajo1981 wrote: »

Why not?

We're just moving the pollution.

no1beemerfan

Del2005 wrote: »

We're just moving the pollution.

Thats why NO green will get me to get rid of my 1997 Laguna (or 1986 E30).

cruizer101

The Recliner wrote: »

I walked past an electric Mini being charged at one of them yesterday evening on Fitzwilliam street lower

It was gone a while later when I passed again and the charge point was covered up so I am not sure it is fully ready yet

I am sure the road will be marked for electric car use only but it hasn't yet

I saw that there today I was wondering what it was.

However there was a drunk talking to it so I wasn't too inclined to take a closer look to figure it out.

My curiosity is now sated, thanks.

The Recliner

robtri wrote: »

probably just testing the charger as the official opening of the charge points was this morning iirc

Ah that is what I get for not reading the article

I did see two besuited blokes come out of the office across the road and get into an electric Mitsubishi (it looked a bit like a smart car) with ESB branding on it and drive off too

Anan1

no1beemerfan wrote: »

Thats why NO green will get me to get rid of my 1997 Laguna (or 1986 E30).

I wouldn't scrap my car for an electric one either. That said, when the time comes to change then i'll look at all the options and pick whatever suits me best. Who knows, in 5-10 years or whenever i'm ready to chance electric might actually be better than IC.

R.O.R

If there was an Electric car that was safe and comfortable to do my 60km of Motorway journey each way everyday, I'd be in it like a shot. Recharge it in work while I'm here (at company expense) then cheaply overnight at home - would cut the weekly fuel bill from the current €60 to less than €10.

Unfortunately, the only Electric cars I've seen look like tin cans that would fold in a breeze, and that's not exactly suitable for 120km per day at an average speed of 70km/h.

cianof

This is great news for EV drivers. Well done to the ESB.

Here's the sign up page.

https://www.esb.ie/main/sustainability/ESB-ecars-signup.jsp

Right now the site needs to be fixed. It only allows cars from 09/10 to register. Once they fix that I'm going to sign up.

Looking forward to being able to charge my EV in town.

cianof

Site has been fixed now.

Cionád

cianof wrote: »

Looking forward to being able to charge my EV in town.

What do you drive?

cianof

I drive a Citroen Berlingo Electrique (E500).

Like this one,
http://www.evalbum.com/1419

pajo1981

Del2005 wrote: »

We're just moving the pollution.

Oil/coal powered stations generate energy much more efficiently than a car's ICE.

The pollution is not just being moved, it's being reduced by a factor of roughly three!

seamus

pajo1981 wrote: »

Oil/coal powered stations generate energy much more efficiently than a car's ICE.

The pollution is not just being moved, it's being reduced by a factor of roughly three!

More importantly, it turns the "power source" into something more generic, so it can be replaced in future without having to replace the entire vehicle fleet.

McSpud

If this was implemented across he country it would change the tax base of the state. I don't think the fuel used to generate electricity has excise duty applied to it as opposed to fuel used for cars. I think this would lead to massive drop in tax revenues given how much collected from excise on fuel so they would have to increase other taxes.

I guess we would have to import a lot more electricity but we already import fuel directly so seems little change there.

Cionád

cianof wrote: »

I drive a Citroen Berlingo Electrique (E500).

Like this one,
http://www.evalbum.com/1419

What range can you get on it in practice? - also the acceleration in that link says 'Eventually', how slow is that?

If this was implemented across he country it would change the tax base of the state. I don't think the fuel used to generate electricity has excise duty applied to it as opposed to fuel used for cars. I think this would lead to massive drop in tax revenues given how much collected from excise on fuel so they would have to increase other taxes.

Indeed, we are a long way from that though, at present with people buying more efficient modern cars the amount raised from petrol/diesel is going to drop anyway. They could introduce some kind of cost-per-km travel tax, or throw up motortax rates.

cianof

McSpud, plan is to increase % of EV's on the road, not replace all cars.
EVs won't suite everyone.

Over the next 2 years they're looking at 2000 additional EVs on the road.
(There's over 2 million cars in Ireland)

There's vat on the electricity 13.5% and VAT on the sale of vehicles.

Cionád, I usually get a 50 mile (80 km) range. Works out at 5 miles per 10% on the battery meter.

Acceleration is quite good. Torque is 180 Nm (132 ft·lbf)
50-60 is slow however. I don't rip around too much as it would reduce my range.

Charging on nightsaver, it uses 20kwh for a full charge @ .745 cent per kwh, so around €1.49 for 80kms. With my usage, I seem to charge every 3 days.

Theta

cianof wrote: »

McSpud, plan is to increase % of EV's on the road, not replace all cars.
EVs won't suite everyone.

Over the next 2 years they're looking at 2000 additional EVs on the road.
(There's over 2 million cars in Ireland)

There's vat on the electricity 13.5% and VAT on the sale of vehicles.

Cionád, I usually get a 50 mile (80 km) range. Works out at 5 miles per 10% on the battery meter.

Acceleration is quite good. Torque is 180 Nm (132 ft·lbf)
50-60 is slow however. I don't rip around too much as it would reduce my range.

Charging on nightsaver, it uses 20kwh for a full charge @ .745 cent per kwh, so around €1.49 for 80kms. With my usage, I seem to charge every 3 days.

50 Miles is that all? I would have thought EV's were getting more than that now?

Cionád

Theta wrote: »

50 Miles is that all? I would have thought EV's were getting more than that now?

He linked to a 1998 model, the newer EV's should have much longer ranges.

Theta

Cionád wrote: »

He linked to a 1998 model, the newer EV's should have much longer ranges.

Oh yeah, sorry just noticed that now.

Do you use it for work cianof?

cianof

I don't use it for work. Social domestic and pleasure use.

50 miles is quite reasonable for a 10 year old EV.
Many Irish motorists don't drive that much during the day.

Being able to charge away from the house at the juice points will definitely give other options.
There's 3 juice points up at the moment.
http://www.juicepoint.ie/

My van is kind of old tech at this stage (Brushed DC motor), newer EVs show a lot of promise.
Check out Robert Llewellyn's youtube channel, he's testing the Mitsubishi iMiEV (Peugeot Ion/Citroen C-Zero).
http://www.youtube.com/user/GearlessUK