Homeowners will be allowed to rent out their EV chargers to motorists under a pilot being considered by the Department of Transport. 

A lack of charging infrastructure is often cited as one of the main reasons behind the slow uptake of EVs in comparison to other European countries. 

The new ‘shared charging pilot scheme’ will mean people will be able to book a charging slot through an app in exchange for a fee.

On The Pat Kenny Show, motoring expert Ger Herbert said the Department has yet to fully publish details of the scheme. 

“It is basically like an Airbnb in the sense that it gives drivers more places to charge and homeowners a chance to earn extra income,” she said. 

“There is an app available at the moment that works in the UK and Ireland - GoPlugable. 

“So, I would imagine it will work, more or less, the same way.” 

An EV fast charging point. Picture by: Alamy

The GoPlugable app allows homeowners to list their chargers which EV drivers can then  book and then pay for using the app. 

Ms Herbert described this as “hassle free” for both the homeowner and the driver - as well as cheaper than using the public charging system. 

Whether this will be the case in the Department’s pilot scheme has not yet been confirmed. 

“I presume homeowners could set their own rates,” she said. 

“It’s one of those things, it’s an interesting idea on paper but you would wonder how practical it actually is. 

“A lot of EV owners would have very cheap rates at night but they would have quite expensive rates during the day. 

“So, you’d wonder whether the income generated would actually be quite low compared to the inconvenience.” 

Electric vehicles charging at sunset at fast motorway chargers. Image: Ethan Lau / Alamy

Ms Herbert said homeowners should be aware that the extra wear and tear would make it more expensive to maintenance their charging points in the long-term. 

“There would be additional costs for maintenance and potential repairs for your charger.”

“Will these chargers be properly maintained? If there is an issue with them, there is really no support in place. 

“So, I could see a lot of issues with it; it’s a good idea on paper but I imagine rolling it out, in reality, will raise a lot of problems.” 

Ms Herbert added that while EV infrastructure “is improving”, quality remains an issue  

“The other issue is that it’s fast chargers that are needed,” she said. 

“What people have at home are slow chargers that take eight to 10-hours to charge a car. 

“So again, with time constraints, you just wonder what the appeal of this really would be.” 

Last month, 4,925 new EVs were sold in Ireland - a figure 20% higher than the previous January.

Main image: An EV wall charger. Picture by: Alamy.com