Kerry County Council has been urged install electric vehicle charging points along the busy Ring of Kerry route as a matter of urgency.
Cllr Michael Cahill said they are needed in all towns and villages to accommodate residents and visitors who drive electric vehicles and to encourage both visitors and residents to move away from petrol and diesel options.
Council officials said the local authority is committed to supporting and facilitating the installation of electric vehicle charge points throughout the county.
The council itself has not installed and does not operate any public electric vehicle charge points but it has worked with the private sector to facilitate the installation of charge points in a number of public car parks.
Cllr Cahill said sales of new electric and hybrid cars in the first couple of months of this year account for 20per cent of Irish car sales and that indicates a sharp rise over the past three years.
“When encouraging visitors and residents alike to use electric vehicles we have a responsibility to provide the facilities to charge them,” he said.
The deputy mayor of Kerry said, as it stands, nobody could envisage travelling the Ring of Kerry if diesel or petrol was available only in Killarney.
“We all expect that we can refuel in Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Caherciveen, Sneem or anywhere else along the route that we might decide to stop at. How can we expect locals or tourists driving electric vehicles to be any different?” Cllr Cahill asked.
“The world of transport is evolving, apparently towards electric vehicles, and Kerry must evolve with it. We must be proactive not reactive and make every effort to be ready to serve our motoring public,” he added.
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