ESB eCars

No doubt, but while matching the market might explain their pricing in the UK (where they are a small player), it doesn't explain their pricing here (where they are the biggest player).

My point is that eCars must have a reason for charging high prices here. Its not down to wholesale markets (the reson they were set high); as I mentioned earlier I don't believe that its down to poor hedging, and I could be wrong but its probably not to fund expansion here (don't they have capital funding for that?).

We can also rule out the usual commercial reasons (profitability / shareholder return) as 1) they are a small division of a large group (not meaningful in terms of revenues or shareholder value), and 2) part of a semi state group that - politically - cannot be seen to be too profitable.

So it leaves me wondering if the reason for taking higher revenues must be to help fund their commercial expansion outside of ROI. By contrast to ROI they may not be able to access capital as easily and so funding it from ROI revenue could make their expansion there easier.

I am probably way off, but I can't think of a good reason why in a falling price market ecars are resolutely maintaining their high tariffs.

I’m not sure if two of your points are correct there. Even in a large company, there is pressure on small department heads to show a good P&L. It’s part of their job/ego and it’s good for their career progression.

Secondly and conversely, nothing the eCars business unit does will have a material impact on the group’s overall profit do there’s no pressure on them to make a small profit. Recent years have shown that ESB can make significant profits but their position as a semi-state allows politicians to deflect any negative political pressures that that causes.

Personally I think the opposite might be true. I think eCars got caught on the hop by the rapid increase in electricity prices, politically couldn’t be seen to increase consumer prices as much or as quickly and took a hit to their P&L which reflected poorly on the department head. There’s nothing worse than being the poor performer in a group with a company that was making hundreds of millions of euros profit at the same time, so now they hedge and price more conservatively and since they’re the market leader, the others are happy to follow their lead.

I'd lay strong odds the vast majority are not hitting public chargers on short trips.

Saw on reddit that a poster over there claimed that their charging cable was glued into the ecars socket on sir John Rogersons Quay. The fella that came out to release him said it was the fifth time it's happened there in the last month.

Obviously I cannot verify the story but after dark there can be a scrote element around there. Would be worth checking plugs and sockets for contact adhesive before hooking up.

For feck's sake. Real low that.

I'd guess it's being applied while the car is on charge rather then when the head is in the charger. But anything is possible.

Fair enough. Though I'd like to some stats to illustrate the point better. Perhaps join the dots in my head.

Ok, so a fully modular enclosure, drop-in ready providing that the ground-work is complete. Makes perfect sense.

And again. They've obviously never landed to a blocked charger badly needing a charge

I'm glad I spotted your post. I've a couple of meetings within walking distance of that area next week and had earmarked that charger on Sir John Rogersons quay as a possibility for a top up for a few hours. Definitely a no go area for me now for charging if that's what is going on.

If the glueing happens before plugging in tesla drivers can park opposite, stick sentry on and wait and see…

Haven't seen it mentioned but there's a big upgrade to the ecars hub at portlaoise plaza. Currently 2 high power CPs installed and covered with ground works for two more. When added to the existing HP cp that will bring to five the total at this site.