EV charging networks strained by capacity limits and rising costs

The state‑owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB) in Ireland admits its public EV charging network cannot keep up with growing demand. With about 1,600 chargers but capacity for only 1,400 vehicles charging simultaneously, drivers in towns such as Naas experience frequent outages, and the cost of using legacy chargers remains high. Motoring expert Ger Herbert said the hardware “isn't designed for today’s volume of EVs” and that the limited number of chargers in small towns can cause “major issues”.

In the United Kingdom, ChargePoint warns that fleet operators are now burdened by the complexity of managing multiple charging locations and tariffs as electric vehicle use expands. Solutions engineering director for Europe Ore Oluwatudimu noted that “electrification strategies are becoming increasingly data‑driven” and highlighted wide cost differences, from 7p/kWh for home charging to 92p/kWh for public rapid chargers. The company is shifting focus to software and equipment that give fleet managers a consolidated view of energy use and costs.