Ireland’s journey toward cleaner transport is well underway, but new research from Trinity College Dublin reveals a surprising twist: rural Ireland—not our cities—may hold the key to successful transport decarbonisation.
A recently published study by Assoc. Prof. David McCloskey and Prof. Brian Caulfield uncovers challenges and opportunities that rarely appear in the EV debate. While much of the public conversation focuses on electric‑vehicle uptake and charging stations, this research highlights something far more fundamental: the resilience of Ireland’s rural electricity grid.
The findings show that areas with the fastest growth in EV adoption—often commuter counties and rural regions—are also the ones with the least available grid capacity. Even more striking, the research demonstrates how just a small number of EVs charging at the same time can place unexpected strain on rural transformers.
But the study doesn’t stop at diagnosing the problem. It outlines practical, high‑impact solutions—from smart charging to targeted grid upgrades—that could help Ireland cut transport emissions faster, fairer, and more efficiently.
If you’re interested in how Ireland can electrify transport without leaving rural communities behind—or in why software may be just as important as hardware—this is a piece worth reading.