Background: Operating in the renewable energy sector since 2019, it provides electric vehicle[/url[ charging and solar PV solutions.

Last year was a year of progress for the Irish motor industry, both in terms of new vehicle registrations and electric vehicle sales. New car registrations finished at 121,850 units, up 16% on the previous year and 4% ahead of 2019. 

The growth in electric vehicle sales continued into 2023, with an increase in market share from 15% in 2022 to nearly 19% in 2023 — representing a 45% increase in EV sales for the year. 

Improved access to electric vehicle charging points is among the new measures announced by Transport Minister Eamon Ryan last month to promote interest in electric cars. The plan aims to provide EV chargers every 60km along the motorway network and constitutes the first part of a national EV charging network, focusing on the en-route, motorway and primary and secondary road network. 

“This plan by the Government to provide chargers every 60km is mandated as per the alternative to fuel infrastructure regulations that we have signed up to as a country,” explains Hugh Hall, founder of ePower. 

More importantly for the travelling public, the purpose of having them every 60km is to take away the range anxiety that people may think they have. And it is not always range anxiety is the problem, it could be anxiety around lack of chargers.

The whole industry has to transition away from fossil fuels, and not just in Ireland, but across the entire EU and beyond. 

“This is a given for cars, but transport is just one sector in which we are trying to transition away from fossil fuels. As a country, we must make savings of up to 50% carbon emission savings within the next six years. There is only one way of doing this — driving more electric vehicles around the country — and to do that they must be facilitated by more chargers.”

With offices in Dublin and Cork, ePower operates countrywide and currently employs over 55 people. Specialists in the renewable energy field since 2019, the company offers 24/7 tech and priority support for electric vehicle charging and solar PV solutions for homes, businesses and the public. 

In the commercial and public sectors, ePower has won highly competitive tenders for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Defence Forces and renewable energy company Orsted to provide charging solutions. 

“We are currently at 55 personnel within the company and it's a figure that will increase into the future. This is really a reflection of the confidence that we have in where this market is going. We are investing in our people and processes internally to support the rollout for everybody concerned. 

We have to bring confidence to this market and provide people with the necessary backup and support. There is a huge mindset transition going on here — the public have been driving on fossil fuels for the last 100 years, and so now there is a lot of hand-holding in helping people transition across to EVs. 

"And if anybody has moved across to an EV, there is really no going back because nobody will want to go back.”

Mr Hall well remembers the birth of ePower, sitting at his kitchen table in 2019 with plans on paper and a long and challenging journey ahead. 

“We have come a long, long way since 2019, and so much of the progress is due to have a fantastic team — a very important factor in the progress of ePower. As a team, you can deliver an overall solution and help customers on that journey.” 

The company already has a wide range of clients, with further expansion expected throughout 2024 and beyond. 

“We expect to grow across all sectors, installing chargers for the domestic and commercial sectors — hotels, shopping centres and so on. Then, for the public, we would own the chargers and install them free of charge at various different locations on a long-term lease. 

"All of those sectors are set to grow in line with the EV adoption, and it is important to know that the clients we have have all chosen ePower — something we in the company are very proud of.” 

In November 2023, ePower completed the initial phase of supplying and servicing EV charge points at five Defence Force bases around the country, with more than 100 charging sockets installed and the provision of ongoing support and maintenance for the equipment into the future. 

The company won the contract to work with the Defence Forces through a public tender process, with the infrastructure supplied a mix of DC fast chargers and AC chargers.

 “Being tasked with providing infrastructure for these essential services was a great vote of confidence in what our company can do. The initial phase of the project has been a great success.”

Mr Hall does concede there is an element of negativity in the market at the moment and is concerned the prices of EVs have dropped recently. 

“This drop has concerned some people, but it is not a problem. Look back to when colour TVs, laptops and mobile phones first came on the market, they were big money. But as these products became more mainstream, the prices dropped. The same thing is happening here, and the fact that this price drop has happened has made it all the better to enter the market now. This is not a negative, it is in fact the complete opposite.” 

He adds that, in the area of sustainability, chargers can be integrated with solar PV panels as well, allowing people to charge their vehicles with energy coming from those panels. 

While the Government has agreed to stop the sale of fossil fuel vehicles by 2030, the transition to electric vehicles is already under way and will continue. 

“We, as a nation, should be doing this anyway, because reducing our carbon emissions is the right thing to do. There is a future on this planet, and if that is all we do, that is something each individual can do. When I think back to where the business was only five years ago to where it is today, it is very satisfying to be involved in a business that people want. There is a huge trust factor here. 

"The easy thing is to sell a charger — the harder thing is to be with the customer on the journey for the beginning, middle and end. Customers need to know that the support will be there for them into the future, and it is our responsibility to provide that whenever and wherever it is needed.”