Drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will have to pay at public charging points for the first time next year, the ESB has said.

The charging network has been free for the past nine years, partly as a measure to encourage the use of alternative green technology.

However, from the middle of 2019, charges will begin to apply on a phased basis, beginning with “fast charge” points and later spreading to all other outlets. The specific rates have yet to be finalised.

The fast charge “super hubs” – banks of eight and four 150kW chargers capable of giving a car 100km worth of power in about six minutes – are due to be installed on motorways and primary routes before the charges are introduced.

The ESB said the revenue raised would go towards providing a network capable of meeting ambitious targets to end new petrol and diesel vehicle sales from 2030.

“From our point of view, the only way that we are going to improve the network, that we can keep the standard up, that we can replace the technologies is actually by making it more commercial and by introducing a level of fee,” said Marguerite Sayers, ESB’s executive director of customer solutions.

Sales of various electric vehicles have been increasing quickly – the total rising from 3,800 at the end of 2017 to about 7,000 this year – and are expected to rise further in line with technological improvements and consumer comfort.

However, a major stumbling block has been “range anxiety” – fears over just how far a car can travel before requiring more power, where to find a power source and how long it will take to charge.