A new grant scheme has been launched for the installation of high-powered fast-charging hubs for electric vehicles on the national road network.
It is open to service station operators, car park owners, hotels, supermarkets and other retail outlets, as well as anyone with a publicly accessible site within 3km driving distance of the network.
The scheme is targeting over 1,200km of national single-carriageway roads as opposed to the motorway network which is already covered by a similar programme.
The new grants will fund 70% of the cost of installing the chargers, up to a maximum of €300,000.
A requirement is that the distance between any new charging pools on the national road network should be no more than 60km and be available for public use by the end of next year.
The scheme will be followed by further ones to increase electric vehicle recharging infrastructure availability across the network.
This will, in turn, be supported by community-based initiatives.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said that he expects a big increase in the number of charging hubs following the launch of the scheme.
"We are spending €100 million on our charging infrastructure to the end of 2025, and I want to see that exhausted as quickly as possible," he said.
"EVs are an important part of our transport mix going forward and we want to make it easier for people to make the switch.
"Providing comfort of mind with more choice and availability of charging infrastructure is key to this."
Mr Ryan also launched a public consultation on data sharing for electric vehicle users to make it easier for drivers to get information on where they can recharge, as well as strategic data to accelerate the growth of the infrastructure.
The aim is to provide more transparency, especially when it comes to pricing, telling motorists which operator owns a recharging point, whether the point is compatible, its power capacity, and whether it is operational or in use at the time.
