Irish Examiner view: EV decision suggests Ireland's transport policies are in a muddle

Policymakers seem unsure which way to turn, given the plan to hike the cost of public electric vehicle charging 

The policy to increase the number of EVs on Irish roads is contradicted by the ESB’s plan for rolling increases in the public charging network. Stock picture: Denis Minihane

Plans for hefty increases in rates for public charging of electric cars, to put it at its most generous, appear to be counter-intuitive, and contribute to a general sense of muddle when it comes to transport policies, which are trammelled by a series of contradictory objectives and political ambitions.

We all know there’s a crisis in energy costs which is unlikely to go away soon. Electric vehicles (EVs), the green alternative, rely on power created by fossil fuels, and the core battery technology also falls short in its eco credentials.