Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2025
144. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider additional financial support for costs related to electric vehicle conversions especially in the case of community and voluntary groups. [46240/24]
View answerProviding a sustainable, low-carbon transport system is a key priority of the Department. Within the Climate Action Plan (CAP), fleet electrification is one of the biggest mitigation actions for domestic sectors and will provide the greatest share of transport emissions abatement to 2030.
There are a number of financial supports from Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland, and where applicable with support from the Department of Finance, which support the transition to electric vehicles including: an EV purchase grant scheme; a home charger grant scheme; eSPSV, a grant for taxi drivers to make the switch to EVs; and ZEHDV, a grant for HDVs to bridge the gap between a low emission vehicle.
These and related infrastructure supports will continue to incentivise the switch to electric vehicles as well as enabling the expansion of a fast and rapid electric vehicle charging network to stay ahead of demand. We are committed to regularly reviewing these measures and grants to ensure they support our decarbonisation objectives.
The Department is aware of initiatives to retrofit internal combustion engine cars to electric vehicles. Innovations that provide reliable solutions for people willing to transition to electric vehicles are to be welcomed, particularly if they provide options for people who might be unable to purchase a new vehicle. It is expected that training for this type of conversion will increase in the coming years as research and technology develop further.
