FREE NOW to invest €6m in home chargers to encourage taxi drivers to go electric

An Post becomes the first Irish logistics company to join global initiative dedicated to accelerating the move to electric vehicles 

Pictured at the announcement of €6 million investment for home chargers for Irish Taxi Drivers was Niall Carson, General Manager for FREE NOW Ireland. Pihoto: Conor McCabe

Taxi-hailing app FREE NOW has announced it will invest €6 million in home chargers in an effort to encourage its Irish drivers to switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

The move comes after a recent survey of the app’s drivers in Ireland which found 68% were unsure about switching to electric vehicles in the next one to three years, with charging availability and price the key paint points for drivers.

This compares to just 37% of drivers in the UK and 22% in France.

Data from the ride-hailing app also shows that of all 11 countries where FREE NOW operates, Ireland has the lowest share of new cars (only 16% of cars registered after 2015 versus 63% in average across other markets) with just under a fifth of Irish taxis on the app electric or hybrid.

Niall Carson, General Manager for FREE NOW Ireland said the company takes its responsibility as Ireland’s leading ride-hailing app “very seriously” and wants to make “a significant impact on improving air quality.” 

“We also understand that drivers cannot switch to EVs overnight and they need support from all stakeholders in order to do so.” 

“Drivers have highlighted their very real concerns when it comes to price and charging infrastructure. That is why we will help to alleviate some of the barriers to switching by significantly investing in home chargers for every driver in Ireland.” 

In September, FREE NOW launched an “eco” booking option which enables passengers to specifically choose electric or hybrid taxis to support Ireland’s drive to reduce carbon emissions. 

The company also plans to be the first mobility platform in Europe to achieve a net-zero plan and 100% zero-emission rides by 2030 in all key European markets.

An Post joins global EV100

Ireland’s postal service has become the first Irish logistics company to join EV100, a global initiative made up of leading international businesses dedicated to accelerating the move to electric vehicles worldwide.

An Post was the first postal service provider in the world to attain zero carbon emission delivery status in a capital city last year when it deployed Ireland’s first ever 7.5 tonne Electric Trucks to its electric fleet last year.

Electric Vehicles make up 30% of An Post’s 3000 plus fleet at present with deliveries in the cities of Limerick, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Kilkenny also emissions free, with more urban areas and suburbs to follow this year.

Nicola Woods, Chief Transformation Officer at An Post said she believes their participation in the global EV100 Initiative will help set strategy and stretching targets for Ireland’s postal service.

“We value the power of peer learning and these actionable global insights and the EV100 experts will help us to formulate strategy, particularly around heavy goods vehicles,” she said.