EV Charging with no driveway

Busman Paddy Lasty · 09-03-2026 12:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124297903#Comment_124297903

Yes, silly. Very silly with a reason below why DC came out favourable versus the old AC setup.

A few years ago the existing system regarding AC charging was something like 1 pillar per connection agreement, ESB had installed many 2x 22 kW AC pillars accordingly. Knock on effect it was too expensive to install larger number of pillars sharing power.

We'll never know the result as (what I call) proper AC wasn't benchmarked against DC charging.

Flinty997 · 09-03-2026 01:32PM

Well it's maths is maths silly.

It's the time taken to charge 30-60 mins on DC vs 5-10 hours on AC at 7kw. AC can't service as many cars.

If the argument is you'll put in 20 AC spaces on a street with public parking that's a fantasy. They will be blocked by people parking in them. Even EV drivers block charges. You just can't reliably guarantee a space.

So they prioritized en route DC hubs for those with home charging. It's just logical.

It's different say in the US where Tesla infrastructure is so good and cheap people with Tesla's often don't bother with home chargers.

The hassle you'd have trying to exist solely on public chargers isn't worth it. At the moment. It's trying to put the cart before the horse. It's stubbornly refusing to accept it's impractical for most unless you've patience if a saint.

Phen2206 · 09-03-2026 03:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124297874#Comment_124297874

I agree with you - I think DCC's approach to cars in general but particularly EV ownership in the city is seriously flawed. I get - and agree with - the desire to reduce car dependancy and use (better air quality, less noise, safer etc etc) but there's only so much you can do right now in 2026 when there are not enough rapid mass transit systems in the city. There's still no metro/Luas Finglas/Poolbeg/Lucan yet DCC somehow expect people to just abandon their cars and cycle or walk everywhere. Richard Shakespeare of DCC has openly stated their aim is to frustrate motorists by playing with traffic light sequences etc. In the absence of this infrastructure a lot of people just cannot abandon their cars. So why prevent those of them without driveways who would like to drive an EV from being able to charge it at home? It would at least go some way to improving air quality and reducing noise in the city if the existing fleet was moving more towards electric. When metro and more Luas lines are built then they can seriously discourage car use via congestion charges or whatever because there's a decent alternative to driving. But in the here and now why not allow people to install the likes of charge arms? Not allowing it is only slowing down the transition to electric, not encouraging car abandonment.

They might argue "oh well you can charge publicly". Thats not always practical. The 3 closest chargers to me for example are 1. in a supermarket with 2hr max stay over which you'll get clamped and its AC so you can't get a full charge. Useless. 2. a fast charger at 70c per kw which is often very busy and not practical from a cost point of view. Too expensive. 3. An on street AC charger where parking costs €4 per hour so about €20 each time on top of the electricity itself. Bananas.

I get Flinty997's point that running an EV will not always be cheaper than running an ICE car and maybe we should no longer expect that to be a given. But it just frustrates me that in this supposed climate emergency there's such an impediment to practical and cost effective EV ownership in Dublin unless you have a driveway. /end rant

unkel · 09-03-2026 03:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124297903#Comment_124297903

"Local AC kerbside charging isn't going to be a magic bullet"

It actually is in the Netherlands, where the vast majority of people do not have a drive way or private parking. AC chargers are everywhere, the charge per kWh is only a few cents above what people pay at home. And people are very considerate using them, typically moving their cars when they are fully charged

Red Silurian · 09-03-2026 04:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298450#Comment_124298450

What it looks like is that somebody in Dublin City council doesn't want to see EVs as the future of private transport. Believe it or not there's a lot of similar people out there

Public charging can of course be practical, you've (possibly inadvertently) outlined what needs to be done to make it such. More chargers and at a cheaper prices.

Almost every climate protection measure we need to take winds up costing us more money or being less convenient. EVs are one of the few ways we have of curbing the climate emergency that can be both cheaper and as convenient as the existing method of private transport

Flinty997 · 09-03-2026 04:43PM

I'm not sure how useful charging in Netherlands is for someone in Ireland.

unkel · 09-03-2026 04:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298737#Comment_124298737

You said public AC on street charging is not the solution. Well, it actually works in NL. Will it ever happen here? I don't know, we are very far behind when it comes to public charging in this country

Flinty997 · 09-03-2026 05:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298450#Comment_124298450

In fairness Dublin was bursting at the seams with cars before most of the recent cycle lanes and bus lanes went in. Used to be two lanes of a car jam now at least a bus or a cyclist can get through. Cars still have most of the road capacity. They no longer have 100% of it.

If thats not helpful for many people that's unfortunate. But the city can't fit everyone who wants to drive.

That no real govt disincentives to not drive a petrol or diesel. The govt incentives to go EV are being reduced. So while govt might talk about transition to electric. In reality they are foot dragging. With the result is buying a petrol or diesel it's still a valid economically valid choice in Ireland in 2026. There's no congestion charge or city bans. So Ireland behind Europe in this. Intentionally so. We still love diesel.

Flinty997 · 09-03-2026 05:13PM

If someone parks in front of your house with overhead charger or pavement cable. What do you do. It's a public road.

Flinty997 · 09-03-2026 05:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298733#Comment_124298733

If you had more AC chargers and less enRoute chargers it would be worse as "everyone" couldn't travel anywhere.

Those without a driveway are a minority. 20% nationally and maybe up to 33% at most in Dublin.

Maybe at best 50% would go EV so that 10% nationally and 15% in Dublin. That's being very optimistic.

Phen2206 · 09-03-2026 05:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298826#Comment_124298826

If your mileage is such that you have to charge every night or multiple times a week then yes it could be a problem. Some people on the other hand have fairly low annual mileage where they have a relatively short journey to work for example (that can only be done by car as in my case) but other journeys within the city lets say, can be made by cycling or public transport hence only needing to charge the car once a week or so. Where I live, I can get a spot outside my house around 50% of the time when I come home, so would be enough for me to be able to charge once a week which is adequate given my mileage.

I appreciate that kind of scenario might only apply to a minority. But instead of a can-do attitude from the council where multiple types of charging options for the driveway-less are explored and allowed, we are years behind our European neighbours.

Flinty997 · 09-03-2026 07:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298890#Comment_124298890

For sure you can make it work if you really want to.

Reg'stoy · 09-03-2026 07:34PM

Having read some of the replies, I'm wondering how people (without driveways) get home heating oil delivered, what if they have to hoover the car? Do they have to hire a couple of flagmen to police movement on the pavement. Seriously, if you're charging your car overnight and take necessary precautions, then charge away, I think there has to be some common sense. I'm more likely to trip over a broken water meter cover, or cracked pavement, then the two floor mats one of my neighbours puts over their granny cable.

Are we as worried about cars that when parked protrude over the pavement, or a trailer ball hitch, in much the same way that I have never heard about a pedestrian suing a car owner, because they clipped a shin on a ball hitch or bumped into a car, has anyone sued a homeowner over an EV charging cable. We've all seen idiots parked so badly that parents pushing a pram have to step onto the street, are they being sued?

Do people panic about putting out their bins and heading to work for the day. In residential estates, whether you have a driveway or not and have an EV charging, postmen, milkmen, salesmen etc still have to walk to your door, what trip hazards do they all avoid daily!

Plug your car in before going to bed and unplug after you get up, use a cable cover, stick a magnetic sensor light onto your car (if its dark), why not have a cctv camera viewing the area and show how if anyone was to trip they were at fault themselves or deliberate in their actions.

Look, I understand if you live on a main street, where 400 school kids pass your front door on the way to school, or live in an apartment complex, that cables may indeed be trip hazards, but if you live in a residential estate where one person may pass your home after 9pm till 8am, then you shouldn't be disadvantaged from the cost savings of running an EV as opposed to an ICE car. The sooner local councils see sense and allow pedestals or gully's and allow people to charge their cars.

Flinty997 · 09-03-2026 08:07PM

Looking up online. Some trips result in someone damaging the charge port on the car and or charger.

awec · 10-03-2026 02:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299170#Comment_124299170

There's a real bang of "I'm special and the rules don't apply to me" off this.

The common sense approach is not to buy an EV if you don't have a driveway, until such a time that legislation is in place to clarify how to do it properly and not leave yourself wide open to action.

People talking about it's fine if it's a quiet residential street. Yea, it's always fine until something happens. And this notion about 9pm until 8am, as if owner are all going to stringently ensure their cable is only out in the depths of night time. In reality people are going to leave the cables plugged in until they use the car for the first time that day.

Like when you're siting having your coffee at 8am on a Sunday morning and Jimmy the 7 year old from next door is out on his scooter and goes head first over his handlebars when he hits your wire. It is not reasonable for wee Jimmy to have factored in that one of his neighbours decided to install a trip hazard on the public footpath overnight. "It's a quiet residential street" isn't going to be of any help to you.

Reg'stoy · 10-03-2026 06:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300920#Comment_124300920

Did you actually read my post? What about little Jimmy hitting a car hitch, a car that has it's front wheels up against the kerb leaving the bonnet protruding over the path? What about Jimmy hitting the extension lead I have out so I can hoover out the car?

Did you miss the part where you plug in before going to bed and unplug when you get up? I have a welcome mat at my front door, Jimmy comes looking for sponsorship for his local GAA team and trips over it, should I expect a solicitors letter?

Let's be real for a moment, are we really becoming that society, where every little thing we do is an opportunity to screw each other over. Someone breaks into my house, they fall down the stairs, "well you did leave your shoes out".

My last comment, again if because of your house, you have to run a cable over the path out front, mitigate the risks, put a cover over the cable, charge when people are in bed, illuminate the area. The chance of someone not seeing the cover, are as likely as someone tripping over your extension leads or car mats you left out while hoovering, very small. The chance that having tripped, that they do themselves an injury again are small. Honestly, how do some people go about their daily lives, not terrified that the postman will sue over a super strong letterbox spring.

...Ghost... · 10-03-2026 06:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124300920#Comment_124300920

The common sense approach is not to buy an EV if you don't have a driveway, until such a time that legislation is in place to clarify how to do it properly and not leave yourself wide open to action.

Problem is by the time we see legislation, we could be flying perpetual energy cars to and from work. EVs have been around long enough and the pace of infrastructure installation is painfully slow. There is negative movement on installations for properties with no drive-way. People are taking this into their own hands now. Chargers are popping up on pedestals at the roadside in residential estates with townhouses and apartments. Installers are putting chargers in underground carparks for residents….my Brother had one installed a couple of weeks ago, as have about a dozen others in the car park.

If we wait and do nothing, we will be left waiting for nothing. Common sense is taking precautions when you need to charge the car, no matter where. Sure, the postman could trip over my cable in the garden when the car is plugged in. He could injure himself, and/or damage my equipment. What then?

awec · 10-03-2026 07:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124301876#Comment_124301876

The rules of what happens on your property versus what happens on public property are quite different. It's all about negligence.

Proving a car driver is negligent by parking on the road would be quite difficult.

Proving an EV owner is negligent by running a cable across a public footpath, something they clearly are not allowed to do, would not be difficult. Sticking a mat or a cover on it doesn't magically make it not a hazard.

If you were out hoovering your car it'd be difficult to prove you were negligence by having the cable there. If you were out working on your front hedge / wall / fence and finished for the night, you'd hardly leave all your **** all over the footpath, cause you know this would not be ok.

I didn't miss the part about plugging in before bed and unplugging when you get up. I am saying this makes no difference. I am also saying that I don't believe for a second that these EV owners are getting up in the morning and dashing out the door before everyone else gets up to take in their charge cable.

There is no legal way to charge an EV by running a cable across a public path that does not leave you wide open to action. Therefore, the only common sense approach is not to buy an EV if you don't have a driveway (or similar).

awec · 10-03-2026 07:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124301987#Comment_124301987

again though, just because the legislation is slower than you'd like does not magically mean that you are special and the rules don't apply to you.

The only sensible precaution to take here is not to buy an EV when you don't have a driveway.

...Ghost... · 10-03-2026 07:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124302053#Comment_124302053

Being pro-active often forces legislation to move faster. Take e-scooters as the perfect recent example. People used them despite the illegality due to lack of updated legislation. Now we have legislation. I had an EV before e-scooters were a thing. We are still waiting for legislation for car chargers.

Like I said, it's about taking precautions. Even when we do things right way and legally, there is still a risk. The postman in my garden who might trip over my cable while I charge my car. What about it?

I have a driveway. So it's not an issue for me with regards to access to home charging.

Phen2206 · 10-03-2026 08:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124302159#Comment_124302159

Funny you mention the scooters - I was thinking along those exact lines; that if people just ploughed ahead and installed charge arms then the legislation would eventually catch up. Until I heard about the fiasco in Ranelagh were the guy got a letter from the council instructing him to take his down. Unfortunately it only takes one crank on the street to complain and bang you've a similar snotty letter through your own door.

Flinty997 · 10-03-2026 08:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124302159#Comment_124302159

Ignoring the rules around eScooters and other illegal eMotorbikes have caused lots of problems. Injuries and even death. Hardly a good blueprint to follow.

Flinty997 · 10-03-2026 09:04PM

There's two issues with these unapproved chargers. One is the hazard and the liability. If you want to ignore that fine.

The other though is it's going to be a complete pain. Getting the parking space free, rolling out the cable rolling it back in. You can't park there mate.

The argument is you'll save a load of money. Well you won't unless doing a lot of mileage. Doing a lot of mileage while charging like that will drive you crazy.

You could in theory just park the car on the pavement so no one can pass. Then run a cable from any 3pin plug. Also crazy. But eScooters.

...Ghost... · 10-03-2026 11:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124302391#Comment_124302391

I mentioned them because I used one of those M365 ones for short commutes through the city. This was when their popularity was rising and before the Gards were taking them off people. Once that started happening, I stopped using mine. But plenty of others kept using them. Some had theirs seized and had their day in court and more and more people bought them. Legislation didn't take too long after in the grand scheme of things.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124302514#Comment_124302514

The point is we got rules because people rightfully saw them as a viable micro-transport option and used them in large numbers. Little scrotes in ballies doing wheelies at 60km/h is not the comparison i'm going for. Home charge points are legal and useful and safe. Nobody is asking to joyride them.

Flinty997 · 10-03-2026 11:33PM

That's a fantasy. About 90% of eScooters we see are illegal. The rules are effectively useless and do nothing.

They all got banned from public transport even the legal ones.

So a means of mobility, legally they are a bust.

Flinty997 · 10-03-2026 11:39PM

I think you all need to go buy an EV and charge it at the pavement. Just do it. Find out yourselves if it's worth it.

dodzy · 11-03-2026 09:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298823#Comment_124298823

No incentives or those that were available to early adopters are being eroded rapidly or are long gone. Let's be honest; the Gov are in a right quandry. Excise & Carbon tax accounts for circa 70% on petrol & diesel. This accounted for almost a €3 billion take in 2025 and this is not taking VAT take at 23% into account. This number will be likely higher in 2026. If EVs were to replace ICE overnight, they'd be hard pressed to fill that hole.

creedp · 11-03-2026 09:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124303349#Comment_124303349

Switching over to EV en masse overnight is not in any way feasible. Even if EVs hit 100% of new car sales each year, ICEs would remain the majority of private car on the road for years yet. Even in Norway, the poster boy for EV adoption/incentives for years now, ICEs remain the majority of passenger cars of its roads.

Just like the explosion of diesel cars on Irish roads post the last time the govt decided to introduce pro environmentally friendly car incentives, EVs will become the dominant car category of cars on Irish roads in the years ahead. No need to flitter away any more scarce public money encouraging people to buy new EVs. We currently flitter away billions on enough populist initiatives.

Red Silurian · 11-03-2026 09:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124302538#Comment_124302538

In theory, parking on the pavement is illegal. However with so little enforcement it's not really a consideration to your idea.

I used to live up a cul-de-sac, a group of 8 houses, the residents had an agreement that the space outside their door was for their usage. If I was an EV driver at the time there would have been no issues with installing a charge arm or even parking up on the footpath right beside the gate. All these things take is a bit of common sense which sadly our elected representatives seem to have none of

Flinty997 · 11-03-2026 10:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124303425#Comment_124303425

A tiny minority live in cul de sacs.

These it's a reason public paths and work on them even dropping a curb is regulated. But sure we could just ignore all the laws and regulations. Much of it is not enforced.

EV Charging with no driveway

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