Through its membership of the International Energy Agency, Ireland has regular contact with all of the leading countries who are actively promoting electric vehicles and we receive regular updates on technological progress and policies to promote electric vehicles (EVs).
Technology advances will continue in the sector, with the biggest developments expected to take place in the areas of range increases and reduced recharging times for electric vehicles. EVs currently on the market are offering ranges under 200 km per charge. This compares to ranges of approximately 170 km two to three years ago. It is expected that similar evolutionary increases in range will continue through improved battery technology and vehicle design.
The contribution that electric vehicles will make to reducing carbon emissions will depend on the number of electric vehicles, the transport fossil fuel they displace, and the extent to which the carbon emissions of the electricity system are reduced.
The extent to which electric vehicles are adopted in the short-to-medium term will depend on a range of factors including, inter alia, the strength of the economy, the overall numbers of new cars being purchased, the cost of purchasing and running electric vehicles compared to fossil fuel comparators, and the number of different electric vehicle models available to purchase. There are signs that these factors are improving and in 2014 there was an increase in electric vehicle purchases through the grant scheme compared to previous years.
The increased deployment of renewable energy will play a significant role in decarbonising Ireland’s electricity system. In this regard, SEAI’s latest "Energy in Ireland" report noted that energy related CO2 emissions fell by 3.8% and that the carbon intensity of electricity dropped to a new low of 469 grams of CO2 per kilo watt hour in 2013. Furthermore, a report published by the SEAI in 2013 looking at fuel and CO2 emissions in 2012 noted that renewable electricity generation displaced 778 kilo tonnes of oil equivalent of fossil fuel, with an associated saving of almost 2 million tonnes of CO2. Indeed, with careful management of the EV load, a significant uptake of EVs could facilitate increased levels of renewable electricity into the future.
Moving beyond 2020, negotiations are now well underway on the Climate and Energy Framework 2030. The EU proposed targets foresee significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and increases in renewable energy across the EU. My Department is actively participating in the whole of Government approach, which is underpinned by rigorous systems and economic modelling, to determine a technically feasible, cost-effective and fair contribution for Ireland to make to the overall EU ambition, including in the area of transport.
