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| John Manning, Market Lead, Ford Ireland. |
The motor industry is doing its part in the necessary shift towards electric vehicles, but other stakeholders, including the Government, must up their game, writes Brian Byrne. That was the message from Ford Ireland boss John Manning this week, when he said that the market is now 'beyond the watershed' in the transition to EVs. He was speaking at the Irish reveal of the Ford Explorer, the first purpose-built battery electric vehicle for Europe, coming to this country in January.
The Ford Ireland Market Lead said the Government plan for 1 million EVs on the road in Ireland by 2030 is 'theoretically achievable, but probably not realistic'. "However, we have to drive towards that figure, and to sustain these we need to have somewhere between 90,000 and 110,000 Fast Chargers available throughout the country. At the last count, there are around 2,500, so we are way behind what is needed."
Saying the transition to EVs is being driven by the market, John Manning forecasts that in 2024, a quarter of all passenger car sales here will be BEV. Apart from the number of charging stations, he criticised the design of those currently available. "No shelters, inflexible cables, spaces designed without taking into account where the charging points in cars are, and locations that are long walking distances from where people gather," he outlined, saying there is a 'disconnect' between the motor industry and Government and planners. "We're doing our part, we're bringing in the product, but we need to see more proactive action from Government and other stakeholders."
When it lands in Ireland in January, Explorer will be the second all-electric passenger car in Europe from the blue oval brand, after the Mustang Mach-E. By the end of next year, it will be one of four all-electric passenger vehicles from the brand in this part of the world, including a battery electric Puma, and an as yet to be detailed sport crossover.
Ordering for Irish customers who have reserved Explorer will open from 19 September, with first deliveries estimated for mid-January. Prices have not been finalised, but will be 'less than €50,000'.
