Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022
131. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport if he will respond to an issue (details supplied) with regard to a large number of sold electric vehicle cars arriving very close into dealerships but close to the expiry of the SEAI grant validity period which is due to the semiconductor shortage which has caused major delays in production (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22122/22]
View answerElectric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2021 Climate Action Plan, and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 945,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years.
As the Deputy will be aware, a comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners.
The SEAI are aware of the semi-conductor issue which is affecting the motor industry and have been proactively engaging with all registered dealers since August 2021 to reduce or remove any impact on the EV grant.
If a situation should occur where a vehicle delivery is delayed past the grant offer expiry date, the dealer should cancel the grant application and submit a new application. In order to support the industry, SEAI have implemented a process whereby a grant offer is instantaneous upon submission of a grant application. Therefore, once a dealer submits a grant application, they receive their grant offer and can proceed with registering the vehicle for the customer.
SEAI provide dealer training via a live webinar twice a year and host an EV Dealer training module on our Energy Academy. These tools provide information on the grant system and ongoing support to registered dealers.
