Dublin council strategy for EVs published

about 4 years too late

No proposals for solutions for people with no driveways?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320610#Comment_119320610

That's the main purpose of the strategy.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320713#Comment_119320713

No plans for overhead charging cables, or prevention of on-path charging cables?

https://www.dlrcoco.ie/en/news/general-news-press-releases/dublin-region-local-authorities-deploy-1650-ev-charge-points-2025

Here is the link from DLRCOCO I posted last month.

at the bottom of the page are two links for people to suggest locations. Only Fingal and DLR. If you have a location in mind let them know.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324168#Comment_119324168

The first pages of the linked document set out the purpose of the strategy and it's scope.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119325512#Comment_119325512

So nothing about keeping footpaths clear for those who need them - bit of a missed opportunity.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327715#Comment_119327715

It's not a strategy for private domestic charging, the document also doesn't contain any policy on tree planting in phoenix park.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327715#Comment_119327715

Blocking or putting an obstruction on a footpath is already an offence, so what else can they do? Enforcement is the problem in Ireland not enacting laws. With our litigious nature people trailing cables across footpaths won't be an issue.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119328124#Comment_119328124

There is a direct relationship. It is about charging of private EVs. Cables on footpaths are already a problem, and likely to be a growing problem. It is very much a missed opportunity in failing to address this.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119328607#Comment_119328607

Enforcement is certainly a big problem, but this is a bit of a grey area. It is possibly a litter offence, similar to putting out a signboard on the footpath, but difficult to enforce. They should really have taken this bull by the horns and;

1) Set out a plan to change legislation to make this explicitly illegal, with some practical enforcement options.

2) Started some research into alternative options, such as overhead swinging cable trunking, like the petrol pumps of old.

The strategy is not about the private charging of EVs so it doesn't deal with it. They are focusing on the problem of how to provide charging as an amenity to people who do not have the capacity to charge on private property. The strategy document goes in to some detail on what they are focused on and the aims, I'm surprised you missed it when you read the document.

As the strategy document lays out it quite aligns with my own views, I'm not a fan of on-street public AC charging as I think it's bad for the general streetscape, this is identified in the strategy document and they instead want to encourage charging hubs.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119330746#Comment_119330746

Is it though? I failed to see them and I'm in and around Dublin streets daily. There are days when I clock 200 km without leaving its borders. And even if they are, they are not condoned by any LA. So it cannot form a part of a strategy.

Regarding the document I'm 3/4 in reading it and I cannot stop the feeling it was written by different people with different agendas without a unitar view. It strikes me that they discuss something then draw a conclusion which is not discussed.

GalwayMan74

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327715#Comment_119327715

Nothing about dirty license plates either 🙄

cannco253

At least Dublin has some form of a strategy, Galway CC refuse to make any public comments on what their plans are and keep hiding behind the “we are waiting for feedback from the national strategy implementation ” line

not good enough

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119331528#Comment_119331528

Send them this document from Local Government Management Agency issued last year

https://www.lgma.ie/en/publications/general-publications/local-authority-electrification-of-fleet-and-ev-charging-guidance.pdf

Somewhat surprising the level of people without driveway in Dublin. All the time it was repeated that over 80% of people charge at home but based on this document it is just not the case, with figures at least 10% less. The question which is not addressed in this document and by nobody else in gov the yellow band which could increase this toward the over 80%

This text:

The Department of Transport’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy considers neighbourhood EVCPs to be the main solution for those without access to private home charging. Due to the nature of the Dublin region (considerable space constraint in places) and Dublin’s aim to encourage a shift away from private car use in the city centre, the Dublin LA strategy considers a different priority. Namely, rapid (hub) charging will be prioritised over slow-fast neighbourhood chargers.

Is placed before any discussion about the type of charging would be practical. Is like the decision has been made and then we make up arguments why. Like lampost tech is "emerging tech". Then on the other side."actually in the UK they've deployed '000s" Later we find arguments why rapid hubs cannot be deployed. Like access to grid or land. To me it looks like a strong resistance to do a job and finding reasons to fail the said jobs. Well the photoshoot happened anyway so all good.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119331411#Comment_119331411

I've seen it a few times myself, and I've seen others calling it out on Twitter too. Should we wait until it becomes prevalent before we actually do anything?

There's an opportunity here to knock it on the head before it takes hold.

Anyway, I'll leave it there.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119330770#Comment_119330770

I disagree with the view that AC chargers litter the street. Done correctly they can be pretty minimal impact

For example there's dual port AC chargers that are essentially just a pillar with a small socket on each side

On a street with a bunch of parking bays, you could put a small pedestal (say 30x30cm) in between two spaces with one of those chargers on it

It wouldn't impact the pavement in any way and the impact to parking would be minimal. Cables would be unlikely to be trailing on the pavement at any point so not too much risk of trip hazards

There's also plenty of bad ways to do it as we've all seen in the past

cannco253

They already have it, and acknowledged it….

they’re more interested in hydrogen from the noises they make

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/hydrogen-transport-hub-to-be-built-in-galway-20-04-2022/

Didn’t mean to derail this thread but it’s frustrating when you see what’s being done elsewhere

the_amazing_raisin

Just because Dublin has a strategy doesn't mean any chargers will be installed

There's been plenty of plans and strategies over the years, a very small subset of them came to any fruition

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119333835#Comment_119333835

Can you share any, this is the first one I'm aware of that's been operated by the Dublin City Councils.

zg3409

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119334552#Comment_119334552

There have been lots of trials of street light chargers, Sandyford (qty6), Dun laoghaire, blanch, swords. Weird street light from london in malahide. Fingal have a good few staff only chargers for council cars and vans.

There was the smart cities charger on Sir John Rogersons quay which was taken over by esb (terrible layout for a DC charger).

There is the "community car" or whatever it's called with chargers dedicated on public streets in Howth and 3 or 4 other places. Volunteers drive elderly to hospital appointments etc.

Wicklow county council have a few staff/car share easygo and other chargers.

Ennis rolled out public on street chargers with easygo, all 22kW AC.

Carlow town easygo installed DC and AC chargers with council help and parking spaces, but council paid zero towards costs.

All these are listed on plugshare app. Council staff ones are marked as restricted so you may need to adjust default settings to see them. I do kind of hate to see these plans instead of just rolling out some decent numbers of chargers with pay to use and see if demand is there. Bray for example have more chargers (all ESB) than most of every town in Dublin. The city centre is a waste ground of hardly any chargers. The council own at least one multi storey car park why not stick 20 X 7kW chargers on top floor, like has been done by council's all over UK.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119334552#Comment_119334552

What you've described are small technology trials and not a strategy to deliver charging as an amenity across a broad region

the_amazing_raisin

I was speaking more about council plans on general. To give a few examples from my locality

2nd primary school, currently has no land to build on

Western bypass road, currently has no route planned

Greenway along river, dunno what the story there is

My point is that local councils, like any government body, have a track record of laying out plans that get constantly delayed or reduced in scope

So until chargers are actually installed and working, I'm not going to get too excited about the new strategy. It's great that they have a strategy now, better than having no plan at all.

But still, the true measure of success is number of installed chargers, and how useful they are