Power behind EV ownership is growing

In an Assembly statement last week, infrastructure minister John O’Dowd said: “The electric vehicle charging network is a commercial operation that is driven by commercial entities.”

To back up this position, the EV industry has asked for the introduction of the Zero Electric Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate in Northern Ireland to provide surety on the growth of EV vehicles in line with the required infrastructure roll out plans of potential charge point operators (CPOs).

The ZEV Mandate has been in place across Great Britain since the beginning of 2024, providing an incentive to car manufacturers and dealers to turbo-charge the demand and market for EVs. The mandate proposes that in 2025, some 28% of all new passenger vehicles on the road across GB would be zero emissions vehicles.

By 2035, this annual target will rise to 100% for all newly manufactured vehicles. The Department for Infrastructure has pledged to introduce legislation here to apply the ZEV Mandate for car manufacturers and dealers.

We welcome John O’Dowd’s statement as it continues to lead the way in the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure across the region. To date, Weev’s network has spanned the length of the province from Enniskillen to the north coast with hundreds of publicly accessible charging points.

The ZEV Mandate’s application will boost confidence in the EV market across Northern Ireland and develop further charging point infrastructure to road networks, rural towns and villages to increase capacity, consumer confidence and demand for EVs.

The Electric Vehicle Association Northern Ireland (EVANI) reports that around 15.5% of all new car sales in September across the region were electric vehicles. This growth in EV sales shows a positive upward trend in EV registrations and further focus post the introduction of the ZEV Mandate should see sales across Northern Ireland increase in line with GB and sales in the Republic of Ireland.

As we aim to meet our climate targets in 2030 and 2050, increasing ownership of electric vehicles across Northern Ireland is crucial to achieving net zero emissions in private transport.

The Irish Government, via Zero Emissions Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) has introduced a number of funding opportunities for CPOs and location owners to install high-speed charging hubs, including €15 million for the installation of up to 227 Rapid chargers across sports clubs on the Island via the Shared Island Fund.

With more consultation on providing funding to local authorities, these interventions will see a huge growth in EV infrastructure across the island, again strengthening consumer confidence in making the switch the EVs.

The Stormont Executive must continue to build confidence in the EV industry across Northern Ireland. A vibrant EV industry will deliver better outcomes for government, business, car dealers, the environment, and the consumer.

A strong network of EV charging infrastructure is key to unlocking further growth in EV sales and assurances that EV ownership makes practical and economic sense.

• Thomas O’Hagan is chief commercial officer at Weev