Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 May 2024
19. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport his views on a survey (details supplied) and the recently announced figure of a decrease in new car registrations of 16% compared with March 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22102/24]
View answerOur current target under the Climate Action Plan is to have 30% of our private car fleet switched to electric by 2030.
€115.8m has been allocated in 2024 to promote the continued transition to electric vehicles (EVs), which includes funding for EV grants and EV charging infrastructure. This underpins the Government’s commitment to making EVs accessible to all.
While there are, as the recent survey points out, challenges around EV sales including prices and concerns around misinformation, we are still working towards our climate action plan and international targets.
There are currently over 125,000 EVs registered on Irish roads (end April 2024). That number is expected to increase as the price of EVs continue to fall relative to their combustion engine equivalents. It is expected that as manufacturers increasingly ramp up EV production, upfront costs will become more comparable to traditional combustion engine cars within the next number of years. This will make total cost of ownership much more attractive and competitive, particularly given fuel price trends. There is also far more choice available across all major car manufacturers and this is driving increased competition on price.
While this is generally a positive action for consumers interested in EVs, it may also create uncertainty for potential EV purchasers as the market has not yet settled and so prices and perceived value are still fluctuating.
Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), a dedicated office within the Department, is actively working to address misinformation surrounding EVs. ZEVI is aware that EVs are still a new and somewhat unknown quantity for many motorists, but there are many benefits and improvements to EVs which can be championed as they begin to meet and exceed the performance of internal combustion engine vehicles through proper use and advancing technology.
Fleet electrification is expected to continue to provide the greatest share of emissions abatement in the short-to-medium term for the transport sector.
Current financial supports from ZEVI, and where applicable with support from the Department of Finance, for the transition to electric vehicles and for the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure include:
• A purchase grant for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) of up to €3,500;
• A Home Charger purchase grant scheme - up to €300;
• VRT relief of up to €5,000 for the purchase of BEVs;
• Benefit-in-Kind tax relief for battery electric vehicles;
• eSPSV grant scheme – a grant to enable taxi drivers to apply for a BEV/FCEV or a wheelchair accessible BEV/FCEV/PHEV
• ZEHDV grant scheme – a grant scheme for HDVs to bridge the gap between a low emission vehicle and a fossil fuel vehicle; and
• Low rate of annual motor tax.
These and related infrastructure supports will continue to incentivise the switch to electric vehicles as well as enabling the expansion of a fast and accessible rapid electric vehicle charging network to stay ahead of demand.
A significant number of charge points are scheduled to be delivered over the next year.
These include the roll out of public accessible charge points through the Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme, the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) Community Facilities EV Charging Scheme and the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Light Duty Vehicle Enroute Grant Scheme all of which are currently live and expected to begin delivery on the ground in late 2024, early 2025.
The National Road Network EV Charging Network Plan, launched in September 2023, will see 8-12 high-power chargers on the motorway network every 60KM, 6-8 HPCs every 60 km on the single carriage national roads and 1-2 high power chargers every 30 KM on the secondary national roads.
This month, we will launch a public consultation on the Regional and Local Plan and roll out of EV Infrastructure for destination and neighbourhood locations through Local Authorities.
This is a critical step in our EV transition that will see us move from the current business led model to a planned approach which leverages private funding and resourcing while allowing Government funding to flow to the areas it is needed.
To facilitate this, ZEVI have been engaging extensively with Local Authorities and agreed in principle a regional set up to deliver EV Infrastructure Strategies and Implementation Plans which will result in a planned and phased roll out of infrastructure over the next 5 years.
A crucial element of this approach is to ensure we deliver a cohesive, resilient network and adequate planning is essential to ensure any infrastructure delivered is installed in the right location for the right purpose to meet user needs.
