As part of a pilot project co-ordinated by electricity supplier ESB, a total of 10 Elektrobay EV recharging posts are being installed in key locations across Ireland, and this week the first three units were connected to the grid in Dublin. These are located on roadsides outside the Department for Energy, Sustainable Energy Ireland, and ESB’s headquarters.
Behind the electric car infrastructure project is a broader plan to transform Irish transport – the Government wants at least 10 per cent of all cars on Irish roads to be electric cars by 2020. To turn that vision into reality, and to facilitate demand for Electric Vehicles amongst consumers and businesses, the Government has announced a plan to install a network of more than 1,500 recharging stations before the end of 2011.
"The installation of these first 10 Elektrobay ‘juice points’ with ESB is just the beginning," said Niall Doonan, Managing Director at Carra Group, reseller of Elektrobay units in Ireland. "We have the rapidly-scalable installation expertise required to support the Government’s ambitious plans, and the Elektrobay is already proven outside Ireland to be the most robust, reliable and user-friendly EV recharging solution available."
"Ireland is fast becoming an important growth market for us, and we are impressed with the vision and drive of the ESB and our supply partners, Carra Group, in making electric vehicles a viable proposition throughout the country," said Calvey Taylor-Haw, Managing Director of Brighton-based Elektromotive. "The Irish Government is setting an impressive standard for other European nations to follow in its drive for greener motoring, and we are uniquely placed to deploy the required infrastructure."
The simple-to-operate Elektrobay was first introduced in Westminster, London, in 2006, and currently more than 135 units are installed across the UK capital. A further 165 Elektrobay charging stations operate in cities and shopping centres around the UK.
Building on its success in the UK, Elektromotive is now seeing very significant growth in its export activity. The company is currently working with national and local governments and organisations in Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and Saudi Arabia to roll-out the recharging infrastructures that will help accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles. Over 300 Elektrobay units have so far been installed outside the UK.
Founded is 2003, Elektromotive is the world’s leading provider of technology and engineering solutions for electric vehicle recharging stations. The company’s main product is the Elektrobay, a recharging station for on-street or multi-storey car park use.
The simple-to-operate Elektrobay was first introduced in Westminster, London, in 2006, and there are now more than 135 units located across the capital. A further 165 fully-operational Elektrobay charging stations have been installed in cities and shopping centres around the UK. The Brighton-based company also exports Elektrobays to Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Elektrobays are typically situated next to parking bays, within easy reach of an electric vehicle’s charging point. The Elektrobay’s socket is located under a secure, weather-proof door, accessed using a personalised key fob. When charging is in progress, the door locks shut to prevent interference. With a power output of 240 volts AC and 13 amps in the UK, or 230 volts AC and 16 amps in Europe, Elektrobay is compatible with all fully-electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.
Founded in 1993, Carra (www.carra.ie: www.juicepoint.ie) was appointed as the sole Irish reseller for Elektromotive in 2007. Carra Intelligent Traffic Management Services include electric vehicle charging equipment and networks, tolling solutions, road safety and ANPR cameras as well traffic counting and classification services.
Based in Howth, County Dublin, Carra also provides 24-hour call-out maintenance services, underpinned by their Maintenance Management and Event Management systems.
