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The new company plans to deploy up to 3,000 EV charge points in the UK and Ireland in the next five years, but EV sales are slowing in this country.
TotalEnergies and SSE are creating a joint venture called Source, which aims to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Ireland and the UK.
The two companies said Source will deploy up to 3,000 high power charge points within the next five years across 300 “EV hubs”.
The venture aims to have a 20pc market share of EV charging infrastructure through these efforts. The creation of this joint venture is subject to regulatory approvals being obtained from relevant authorities.
If approved, Source plans to build EV charging hubs in prime locations in and around urban areas, which will have renewable energy supplied by both SSE and TotalEnergies. Several hubs are already under construction.
In a statement, French multinational TotalEnergies said Source will support the Irish Government’s target of getting almost 1m EVs onto roads by 2030. The company already has more than 64,000 charge points in operation around the world.
“TotalEnergies is proud to contribute to the development of electric mobility to decarbonise transportation in the UK and Ireland,” said Mathieu Soulas, senior VP of new mobilities at TotalEnergies. “This is a great opportunity to extend our network in Europe and stake out a key position as a reference high-power charging player.
“We want to offer our customers – passenger cars and fleet alike – a nationwide, ultra-fast and reliable charging service that allows them to travel efficiently with complete peace of mind.”
SSE’s MD of enterprise Neil Kirkby said the UK-headquartered company is “playing a leading role” in decarbonising the power systems of both countries through its renewable energy efforts.
“Now this agreement will help accelerate progress towards a decarbonised transport system too, ensuring the vehicles that keep the economy moving can do so in a more sustainable and efficient way,” Kirkby said.
Various players have taken an interest in Ireland’s EV charging infrastructure in recent years, such as Cork-based charging company ePower which opened a Dublin office in February.
Earlier this year, the Irish Government announced a €21m grant scheme to boost the development of EV charging infrastructure.
But a report in March warned that EV sales in Ireland fell year-on-year for the fourth time in seven months, causing some in the industry to worry that the Government is falling behind in its plans to electrify the national fleet. Recent data from the Central Statistics Office shows the number of new EVs licensed in Ireland fell by 25pc in the first half of 2024, The Irish Times reports.
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