Ireland’s Charging Network Powers Up: Why This is a Milestone Moment for the EV Industry
ESB electric chargers
Ireland’s road to 2030 just got a major boost. The Government’s target of having 640,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the road within the next five years is ambitious, but ambition needs infrastructure. And that’s where Ireland’s charging network is stepping up, led by the likes of ESB eCars, EZO, and EC Charging, whose work is helping to build the confidence and reliability drivers need to make the switch.
At ZeroMission, we see this as more than just a story about plugs and power. It’s a signal that Ireland’s EV ecosystem is maturing.
ESB eCars: A Decade of Leadership in Electrification
“ESB has been in this space for quite a while now,” says Francis O’Donnell, head of eMobility at ESB.
And he’s not exaggerating. Long before EVs became a talking point, ESB began laying the groundwork for Ireland’s public charging network back in 2010.
Today, it operates the largest charging network on the island, with over 1,600 charge points and an impressive 98% reliability rating. For drivers, that reliability is gold dust. It’s the difference between range anxiety and real confidence.
At ZeroMission, we’ve seen first-hand how data-driven reliability underpins EV adoption. The more predictable and transparent the network performance, the faster fleets and drivers will transition.
Competition is Driving Innovation
As Ollie Chatten, CEO of EZO, rightly points out, Ireland’s market has evolved dramatically. Once dominated by a single provider, it’s now open to multiple operators, bringing in new business models, better user experiences, and much-needed investment.
“There is a major opportunity to accelerate progress by empowering the private sector,” Chatten says.
We couldn’t agree more. A data-sharing, competitive ecosystem ensures better service quality, fairer pricing, and faster innovation.
ZeroMission’s own FleetOps360° platform is designed with this in mind, connecting public, private, and fleet charging data into one intelligent layer, ensuring that operators and drivers alike can plan, monitor, and optimise every charge intelligently.
Charging for All: From Apartments to Rural Roads
Ireland’s next leap forward will come from inclusion, making sure every driver in every setting has access to reliable charging.
Innovative schemes like the Shared Charging Initiative are a glimpse of what’s possible, allowing homeowners to share their chargers with neighbours, effectively crowdsourcing the nation’s charging network.
But as Matt Keady of EC Charging highlights, real progress depends on robust, durable infrastructure and policy alignment between local authorities and private partners.
Without clear ownership models, billing systems, and space allocation, rollout speed will suffer. ZeroMission’s work with councils, fleet operators, and energy providers across Ireland and the UK aims to close those gaps through intelligent planning, digital twins, and grid-aware analytics that make investment decisions faster and smarter.
A United Effort Towards 2030
The goal of 640,000 EVs by 2030 is achievable, but only if government, utilities, private investors, and technology providers continue to collaborate.
At ZeroMission, we believe confidence comes from data, knowing that every charger, every site, and every fleet journey is mapped, managed, and optimised. Ireland’s EV transition won’t happen by chance. It will happen by design, collaboration, and intelligence.
This latest momentum from ESB, EZO, and EC Charging isn’t just good news. It’s a turning point. It shows that the EV industry in Ireland is no longer waiting for change. It’s building it.
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