Timmy Dooley
Ceist:411. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated first and full year cost of extending toll waivers to electric and hybrid vehicles. [50964/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 29 November 2017
Ceisteanna (411, 412)
Timmy Dooley
Ceist:412. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated first and full year cost of extending toll waivers to electric and hybrid vehicles. [50988/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 411 and 412 together.
The Government is committed to facilitating an increased uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). The Deputy may be aware that my Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment (DCCAE), have jointly convened an interdepartmental LEV Task Force to consider the range of measures and options available to Government for the purpose of accelerating the deployment of low carbon technologies, especially electric vehicles (EVs). The wide ranging work of the Taskforce has been divided between three working groups addressing: Market Growth Stimuli and Visibility; Infrastructure, Energy Regulation and Pricing; and Planning Legislation, Building Regulations and Public Leadership. As part of its programme of work, Working Group 1 of the Taskforce, which is chaired by my Department, is assessing options for potential Government and public body leadership initiatives and opportunities, as means of further demonstrating support for LEV uptake. To this end, Working Group 1 considered recently a TII paper on options for incentive toll rates for EV drivers. Although the modalities are still under consideration I have secured funding in Budget 2018 to introduce a toll incentive regime which I hope could be introduced early next year.
In relation to extending the cost of toll waivers to electric and hybrid vehicles, it is estimated based on 2015 figures that the average toll paying motorist pays €100 in tolls per year. At current penetration levels of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road in Ireland and assuming a full toll waiver that would equate to a cost of approximately €230,000 over the course of a full year. This full waiver cost would rise to an estimated €2 million should the target level of 20,000 electric vehicles by 2020 be reached.