BMW supports drive to double number of plug-in cars on roads
The campaign is starting in Cork City, which is promoting the use of EVs in its bid to be European Green Capital in 2017. Some of the incentives to buy EVs are free parking, free charging, free charge points and waived tolls.
The campaign is being spearheaded by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and a range of partners, including Energy Cork, several car manufacturers, such as BMW, and the ESB, Sustainable Energy of Ireland, and the SFI Research Centre for Marine Renewable Energy Ireland.
Under the pilot project, Cork City will provide 50 free car-parking spaces, with charging facilities, at its Black Ash Park and Ride. Q-Park will provide free parking and charge points to EV drivers in all of its Cork City car parks. The Fermoy by-pass provider, Direct Route (Fermoy), has waived toll charges for EVs.
SEAI will provide a €5,000 grant for the purchase price of an EV, with ESB providing 2,000 free charging points for homes and companies.
Sales of EVs are on the rise within the BMW Group, with three BMW i models available — the fully-electric BMW i3 megacity, the range-extended BMW i3, and the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 sports car.
Under the Drive4Zero project, several large employers, including EMC and Apple, as well as healthcare and pharma giants based in Ringaskiddy, have agreed to install EV charge points at their plants to encourage their employees to switch to plug-in cars.
Car dealers have offered more than 60 EVs — 50 Renault Fluences, eight Nissans and two others — for test drives, to encourage people to go green.
And banks have agreed new finance packages, including zero-deposit and 0% finance, subject to certain terms and conditions, to help people buy EVs.
There are about 1,200 public charge points around the country, with 2,500kms of major roads served by the EV fast-charging network, which can provide an 80% battery charge in less than half an hour.
