The world of electric vehicles is moving fast, and here in Ireland monthly registrations numbers are continuing to grow with more and more making the switch. With that said, we decided to take this opportunity to sit down with Seamus Tighe of Ecoplex Energy Systems to find out how his company is adapting to keep up with current demand.
Hi Seamus, thanks for taking the time out to speak to NEVO. For those that don’t know the back story, can you give us a little overview of Ecoplex Energy Solutions and what services the company provides?
Hi guys, you’re very welcome, it’s a pleasure chatting with NEVO today. Ecoplex Energy Solutions was born in 2020 during the peak of Covid. At the time, we spotted a gap in the market and an opportunity for a new renewable energy player to come on the scene and you could say the rest is history. Ecoplex Energy Solutions offers a vast range of sustainable products and services to consumers and businesses nationwide including; PV Solar panels, electric car chargers, heat pumps, and boilers. We are constantly seeking ways to expand our offering to ensure we have the most innovative and top of the range products available for our customers.
So expansion of the business has been fast and forthcoming. What parts of Ireland are you currently covering?
Yes, the expansion is growing at scale at the moment. We can see that our typical customers are no longer within suburban areas only, they are all across Ireland both rural and urban. It's no longer just the early adopters who are seeking these products and services from us it's everyone. We are delighted to have an exceptional team in place and the resources to be covering all of Ireland nationwide.
Where does the majority or your business referrals come from? Online, verbal recommendations or have you any dedicated partnerships with current car distributors?
In business, it’s paramount that you remain agile in terms of how you position your brand through media to consumers. While online and social has become increasingly popular for generating leads, a lot of our business referrals actually come from word of mouth. Customer service and satisfaction is front and centre in everything we do and we pride ourselves on our after care, which we believe in turn has given us a lot of referrals from friends and family of customers / businesses that have had a successful experience with Ecoplex Energy Solutions. – Richard Sheridan (Sales Director)
It is fantastic that Ecoplex Energy Solutions can guide people new to electric vehicles through the process of obtaining a grant, to charger purchase and fitment. How long does the process typically take?
Typically speaking from initial consultation to obtaining the grant for EV, it is usually instant with the SEAI approving the grant, our current lead time is 7 – 10 days for a car charger installation. In relation to solar panel installation, we have a 4 week lead time. It is worth noting that the time can fluctuate slightly on receiving the grant, which we are always very transparent about to customers. Clear communication and transparency with our customers is key and our dedicated team are there to assist through the process with SEAI grant applications.
How does the price differ from property to property with a modern charger install?
There are a number of factors which, can change the price of a car charger installation. The age of the home, the parking logistics however our team have installed every scenario at this stage. If anyone would like to get quoted up and figure out the costing for a car charger installation on their home, feel free to call our EV team on 01 224 8365.
What EV charging best practices should people follow at home? Some believe it’s not best to totally deplete the battery before charging etc.
Something that people forget with electric is that the car will never be fully flat when you go to charge – you don’t wait till your petrol tank is completely empty before going to a petrol station. Same goes for the car charging, cars like mobile phones charge to the fast speed possible for the 1st 80% to protect the battery, the final 20% is filled at a slower rate.
Do you think Ireland’s transition to Electric Vehicles is going well or could it be going better?
Yes, I think Ireland’s transition to Electric Vehicles is going well. Of course there is always room for improvement and increased usage. The level of range anxiety that people may have perceived to be an issue previously is depleting. It also helps that the selection of vehicles that consumers have to choose from has grown over the last several years. One of the main contributors to the increase in Electric Vehicles usage I believe is, education and awareness, people and businesses are aware of the reduction of carbon emissions when switching to an EV as well as the huge cost savings when they make that transition. – Niall Davey (Operations Director)
What major differences have you noticed with the electric cars currently for sale in Ireland compared when your business installed your first charger?
Well, it touches on the point I mentioned above, the Electric Vehicle car market offers a vast selection of top class vehicles from all car brands. The car brands no longer compromise on the cosmetic appearance that they would have years ago and offer a much more attractive range for people to choose from. Everything from the vehicle design, the range distance, right down to the price point is far more considered to suit more customer’s needs.
Are there any particular car brands capturing your attention currently? The recent arrivals of MG, GWM ORA and BYD appear to be shaking the market up.
It would be hard to pinpoint one brand in particular, as they each have their USP but it’s exciting to see some new arrivals entering the market and giving customers even more choice and challenging the competitor brands. As you know not all Electric Vehicles are the same, for example the VW ID retained its position as the top selling car in 2023, but you also have luxury brands such as the Audi Q8 e-tron offering customers one of the largest batteries in an EV or for those with range anxiety the Mercedes EQE 350+ has the longest WLTP range at 671 km. In terms of new players, I think the ORA 300 will pique a lot of interest for those investing in their first Electric Vehicle.
Seamus thanks so much for your time. Before we sign off will we see you at out upcoming NEVO Electric Vehicle Show in the RDS, February 17th?
Absolutely, Ecoplex Energy Solutions will be attending the upcoming NEVO Electric Vehicle Show and are looking forward to, you can catch up at B6 on the day! Thanks again for the opportunity to talk all things EV!