The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has strengthened its partnership with Ireland through a new advisory agreement aimed at accelerating the rollout of a nationwide electric vehicle charging network. The initiative, announced in Dublin on 4 June 2026, brings together the EIB, the Department of Transport, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) to support the country’s transition to cleaner transport.
The partnership was formally signed by Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris ahead of the EIB Ireland Financing Group meeting. It is designed to ensure that public charging infrastructure keeps pace with the rapid growth of electric vehicle adoption across the country.
Ireland has already seen strong momentum in EV uptake, with around 235,000 electric vehicles on the road by the end of 2025. The government aims for 30% of its national car fleet to be electric by 2030, and the new EIB-backed framework is intended to support that goal by making charging accessible within every community.
The advisory programme will be funded through the European Commission’s InvestEU Advisory Hub and the EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. It will provide ZEVI and local authorities with practical tools such as procurement strategies, financial models, and contract templates to speed up the development of charging infrastructure across urban and rural areas.
Dublin and Cork are also involved as pioneering cities under the EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities initiative, supporting the rollout of innovative charging solutions at local level. The plan focuses on integrating charging points into everyday locations such as workplaces, public car parks, and community spaces to ensure convenience and accessibility.
EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris highlighted the importance of ensuring infrastructure growth matches rising demand, noting that Ireland’s EV adoption demonstrates strong public momentum toward sustainable transport. Minister Darragh O’Brien emphasized that reliable access to charging is essential for enabling the country’s clean transport transition across both urban centres and rural communities.
The EIB also brings extensive experience from similar projects across Europe, having supported large-scale EV charging networks in countries including Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Greece, and several Central and Eastern European states. These projects have involved financing thousands of charging points and developing models for scalable, efficient infrastructure delivery.
The new partnership positions Ireland to expand its EV charging network at speed and scale, supporting national climate targets while ensuring that infrastructure development keeps ahead of growing demand.
