27 Mar Tritium delivers Ireland’s most advanced electric car DC fast charger
Ireland’s first privately-owned 50kW DC electric car charger has been unveiled thanks to Australian-based Tritium, a developer of some of the world’s fastest DC charging dispensers.
The 50kW Veefil-RT fast charger was unveiled at the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan, Ireland, thanks to a deal Tritium has inked with EasyGo, the first and only privately-owned electric car charging infrastructure network in the emerald isles.
The Veefil-RT charger, which can extend the driving range of an electric vehicle by up to 50km in just 10 minutes, is just the first of what will by the end of 2020 be an 88-strong charging network across Ireland.
The deal is also creating 50 jobs for EasyGo, which was founded in 2018 by Chris Kelly and Gerry Cash as Ireland’s electric car sales go through the roof.
“Sales of new EVs in Ireland have increased by 541 per cent this year alone, so it’s clear we’ll need more charge points to cater for an increase in EVs on the road,” said EasyGo.ie co-founder, Chris Kelly in a note.
“EV drivers are always looking for places to charge and the availability of this and future rapid chargers will help ensure drivers have options across Ireland, from Malin Head to Mizen Head.”
For the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan, the installation is a step towards providing an option for EV drivers travelling across the country.
“We’ve always strived to serve the present and future needs of our customers by staying ahead of the curve, and the world is trending closer towards a zero-emissions, electric vehicle future,” said Frank McKenna, Director, Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan.
“We worked with EasyGo.ie to install the charger at our site because we want to cater to EV owners who will need to charge their vehicles not only quickly, but in comfort and style; while their car charges, they can avail of all the facilities that the hotel has to offer.
“This is the future of travel in Ireland, and the selection of our hotel as the first site to have a rapid charger installation in a number of years is a testament both to EasyGo.ie’s foresight and our ethos of providing the best service to our guests.”
The choice of Tritium, which is based in Brisbane, to supply the chargers will leverage its considerable experience in providing DC fast charging infrastructure – the company already has several links and deals with overseas networks including the Ionity network in Europe and ChargePoint in the US.
In October 2018, the company announced a substantial injection of funds from fuel dispensing giant Gilbarco Veeder-Root, who joined engineering firm Varley Group and coal baron Trevor St Baker as major investors.
With chargers in 29 countries across the globe, Tritium have also recently signed an MOU with India’s Tata AutoComp Systems to supply its 50kW DC fast chargers in what is touted to become one of the world’s biggest EV markets.
“It’s been proven time and again the world over that the installation of publicly-available rapid charging options leads to greater EV uptake,” said Kevin Pugh, business development manager for Tritium in the UK and Ireland.
“People see publicly-available chargers and begin to recognise that, as the infrastructure is being put into place, EVs are clearly here to stay.”
Source: The Driven, EQ International