Podcast Ep 225: The return of an even bigger Nevo EV Show on 10 November will reflect a bigger appetite in the market for electric vehicles, says Nevo’s Derek Reilly.
Earlier this year close to 13,000 members of the public trooped into the RDS in February to look at the latest innovations in electric vehicles. This belied a growing narrative in the media that appetite for electric vehicles (EVs)in Ireland were flagging due to issues like range anxiety and trade-in values.
For Derek Reilly, host of Ireland’s leading Electric Vehicle YouTube channel and Partnerships director of Nevo, the truth is the reverse. Sales of EVs are on the up, the technology is constantly improving and charging infrastructure is growing by the day.
“We’ve increased the number of cars on display from 45 to 80 and we’ll have two stages, so it will be bigger and better. 96% of the car brands in Ireland are going to be there. So if you’re thinking of going electric, this is the show to go to”
His confidence in the public’s appetite is so assured that the Nevo EV Show is returning on 10 November to a larger venue at RDS Simmonscourt in partnership with Bank of Ireland, with as many as 35,000 curious members of the public expected to get tickets.
The event will feature more than 80 electric vehicles from more than 30 leading automotive brands, including Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, BYD, Citroën, CUPRA, Dacia, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, MG, Maxus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Opel, ORA, Peugeot, Polestar, Porsche, Renault, Skoda, Smart, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo, among others.
One of the key highlights of The Nevo Electric Vehicle Show will be the exclusive Irish unveilings of several all-new electric vehicles, including the Renault 5, Ford Capri, Kia EV3, Dacia Spring, and a large range of others.
The Irish vehicle market is about to become fully charged
“In the UK, where they are 18 months ahead of us regarding adoption rates, their used electric car market is stronger than their petrol and diesel market – so much so that I’ve heard some Irish dealers are taking in used EVs and getting a better price for them in the UK”
“Always be charging,” is Reilly’s advice to anyone who decides to take on an electric vehicle as we discuss the best way to get your value out of one. He believes range anxiety will soon be a thing of the past in Ireland as better batteries and infrastructure arrive.
Looking back on the February event, I asked him why they decided so quickly to go again and do a second event in the same year. “The attendees were delighted with all that they saw and heard from the stages and the vehicles that were there. The manufacturers were delighted too. This is because it wasn’t just an educational event, it turned into a sales event which we didn’t anticipate.
“There were a lot of test drives, a lot of deposits placed and a lot of enquiries. So they weren’t all tyre kickers, it was people who had done their research and had one or two questions that when answered were like ‘okay, how do we move forward with this?’
“It really turned into something and that’s why the industry has come back to us and asked would we be interested in doing it again November as we approach that critical ’25-1-xxxx’ sales period.”
The show itself will take place in RDS Simmonscourt, which will see the floor space increase from 6,000 sq metres to more than 10,000 sq metres. A prior limit of 20,000 attendees has been increased to 35,000 attendees. “We’re already at more than 10,000 registrations and we haven’t even started the marketing yet,” Reilly said at the time of the interview which was just prior to Budget 2025.
“A lot of people who missed out on the February event are coming. We’ve increased the number of cars on display from 45 to 80 and we’ll have two stages, so it will be bigger and better. 96% of the car brands in Ireland are going to be there. So if you’re thinking of going electric, this is the show to go to.”
The curiosity and enthusiasm of the public were palpable at the February event, which I point out to Reilly is at odds with the general picture in the media that public interest in EVs is waning.
He is dismissive of what he considers an “if it bleeds it leads” attitude among newsmongers around the subject of EV sales.
“2023 sales numbers are a hangover from 2022 when there was a big demand but not much supply and so people had to wait until 2023 for new cars to arrive. 2023 numbers were high at 18% to 19% of the market before the market realigned itself to 14% to 15% this year, which is the European average. So far this year up to the end of August we’ve had more than 15,000 electric vehicles hit the road, on top of the 100,000 that were already on the road.
“Every single day more than 60 electric vehicles are sold in Ireland. So the numbers are down yes, but we’re still at more than 15,000 so far this year already sold this year.
“The other issue is depreciation. Yes the used car market isn’t as strong as it could be. Values we are seeing aren’t as strong as we would traditionally expect, but that used EV market is getting stronger and stronger. In the UK, where they are 18 months ahead of us regarding adoption rates, their used electric car market is stronger than their petrol and diesel market – so much so that I’ve heard some Irish dealers are taking in used EVs and getting a better price for them in the UK, which I’ve never heard of before. Used EVs in the UK aren’t making it to Ireland because there is a strong demand for them there.
“That depreciation level for used cars will start levelling out in Ireland over the next 12 to 18 months.”
When it comes to range anxiety, he is adamant that the charging network is steadily improving. “There’s a huge investment coming in. Zevi has done a deal with more than 200 sports clubs around Ireland who initially went looking for a grant for an EV charger. That’s going to be another 200 fast chargers and that will be available 24 hours a day.”
Reilly’s maxim “always be charging” is something he follows religiously and points concerned motorists to Nevo’s own journey planner which shows every single charger available along a chosen route.
The charging experience is changing. He pointed to Hyundai’s new 800-volt architecture that will charge a vehicle from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. “By the time you go to use the restroom and grab a coffee your car could be at 70% battery full.
“I think if you’ve got a two-car household, your second car should an electric vehicle if you’re doing lots of school runs for examples. People are understanding that they don’t necessarily need a bigger battery if it’s a faster charging vehicle.”
At the same time he is cognizant that if someone is moving from petrol and diesel to an EV, it can be a bewildering learning curve. “It’s a transition and people are making that understanding about what they need to do.”
He points out that there’s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to EVs and that’s why the Nevo EV Show is playing an important role. “They can come to our show and ask suppliers and exhibitors at the show how best to do it, how long cars take to charge, how far can they go. They’re not silly questions, these are the things that people want to understand.”
Reilly notes that the technologies such as the apps and the cables are also taking a leap forward. “Everything is evolving. A few years ago you didn’t even have apps that would tell you how much battery you had. Today, motorists can just tap and pay and their car will start to charge. But there’s another level coming called ‘plug and charge’ where instead of tapping a card or entering details, your car talks to the charger for you using ultra-wideband communications technology and makes the transaction. That technology is being rolled out across all car models such as Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia. You just plug in and walk away. Everything is connected.”
Another big thing to look out for at the Nevo EV Show is the emphasis on fleets for businesses. “We will have commercial vehicles there including electric trucks. Our talks will include how to go electric with your business. If you’re a fleet manager or you’re a business owner and you’re thinking about going electric, it needs to be viable.”
He points to ATC Logistics’ recent investment in electrifying its European fleet with more than €22.5m invested. “That will be a big element of the show and there will be exhibitors there on the day that will help your business make that transition to electric.”
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