THEY come with a hefty price tag of £220,000 but Fermanagh’s ecar charge points have seen dwindling numbers since they were first installed last year.
Since March 2012 there have been 11 charge points installed across Fermanagh, including one in Belleek, Lisnaskea, Maguiresbridge, two in Irvinestown and six in Enniskillen.
Following a questioned tabled by Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Maurice Morrow, the Department of Regional Development minister outlined the number of times charge points have been used locally.
According to the figures Fermanagh drivers appear to be reluctant to take up the new initiative which is being backed by government departments.
To date, the charging point in the DRD carpark in Maguiresbridge has been used just once.
The figure was not much higher for Irvinestown’s Main Street charging point where it racked up only two charges since June this year.
While Belleek attracted three charges, Lisnaskea had a total of eight as of August 22 this year.
There are a total of six charging points in Enniskillen, albeit only five are active, and these had a combined total of 58 charges since March last year.
There are two types of charge points installed within Fermanagh. The vast majority are standard/fast with two charge points while the other is a rapid 50kW DC post.
The cost of each charge post is £10,000 and £35,000 respectively.
Ecar drivers are currently enjoying free use of the charge posts, however under the ecar Project they are planning to introduce a payment system next year.
The average cost of charging an electric car at home costs up to £3 for an approximate 100 mile range. The public charge points are seen as an ‘opportunity’ charge.
While sales of electric cars across the North remain low because of high sticker prices and some inaccessible charge points, the government believes that the electric vehicle market will become more competitive over time.
Typically the cost of electric cars is much higher than their diesel or petrol equivalents with some being almost double the cost.
These are sticking points for a lot of local drivers who are reluctant to invest in an electric car.
Sinn Fein councillor for Erne east Ruth Lynch said she would consider purchasing one: “The charge points are there for people to use in villages and towns.
“They will be there for people but I think it will grow more popular as time goes on and people get more into the idea. People who have electric cars would also have to know where the charging points are.
“I would imagine if I had one I would look it up to see where they are. People will know this information before setting off on their journey.
“I think it’s something which will increase with popularity.
“The council bought some electric vans and I plan to get an update on that to give us a clear view on how they are getting on.
“I would look into the possibility of buying one although they are expensive.”
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