Eoin Ó Broin
Question:116. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the subsidies for electric vehicles by BEV and PHEV and by model and private or company purchases. [41529/20]
View answerTuesday, 8 December 2020
Questions (116)
Written answers
My Department continues to provide a generous support, through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), towards the purchase of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
In order to qualify for the relevant supports under the SEAI scheme, the electric vehicle must be classified as M1 (private passenger vehicle) or N1 (light commercial vehicle). The scheme currently provides up to €5,000 in grant support for the private purchase of a new electric car (M1) and up to €3,800 for the purchase of a new electric van (N1) by a company or where a motor dealership is purchasing a demonstration vehicle. My Department is making an allocation of €27 million in 2021 for grants under this scheme.
In relation to PHEVs and the models to be supported under the scheme, there are criteria that need to be met in order for the vehicle to qualify for a grant. These criteria are currently defined under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test procedure and include a minimum range in electric mode of 50 km and a maximum emission level of 50 gCO2/km. From January 2021, the NEDC criteria will be replaced by the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) which will adjust the minimum electric range required to 40km with a maximum emission level of 65 gCO2/km. In March 2021, these will be adjusted again to minimum electric range of 50km and maximum emissions of 50gCO2/km (WLTP). These changes will affect some categories of PHEVs in terms of eligibility under the SEAI scheme. More details on purchase grant scheme and the EV models which qualify can be found at www.drivingelectric.ie.
In addition, as Minister for Transport, I was delighted to announce a 2021 allocation of €15 million to support up to 750 taxi and hackney drivers in making the transition to fully electric vehicles. An enhanced EV scrappage scheme is being made available for eligible drivers scrapping older (8 years or more) or high mileage (over 300,000km) vehicles and replacing them with zero-emission electric alternatives. Grants up to €20,000 will be made available towards the purchase of a new fully electric vehicle with higher levels of supports available for electric wheelchair accessible vehicles (both plug-in hybrid and fully electric). From 2021 onwards plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will not be supported under the eSPSV Grant Scheme, with exceptions for wheelchair accessible vehicles. More details on this grant and the EV models which qualify can be found at www.nationaltransport.ie.
Other incentives available for electric vehicles include:
- Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) relief of up to €5,000 for battery electric vehicles and low rates of VRT for plug in hybrid electric vehicles;
- Benefit-in-kind tax relief for battery electric vehicles;
- Grant support towards the full cost of installation of a home charger up to a maximum of €600;
- Lowest rate of motor tax (€120 per annum) for battery electric vehicles and generally low rates of motor tax for plug in hybrid electric vehicles; and
- A discount on tolls of 50% for battery electric vehicles and 25% for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (up to a maximum amount of €500 per year with greater reductions off-peak on the M50).