Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
161. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport the progress being made with the Climate Action Plan 2021 aim to have 845,000 electric passenger cars on the road by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44331/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the National Development Plan €1bn has been allocated to specific carbon reduction measures, including vehicle electrification. Providing a sustainable, low-carbon transport system is a key priority of my Department.
The Programme for Government commits to 7% average annual emissions reduction to 2030; ultimately, the goal is for a zero-emission mobility system by 2050. The national car and van fleet accounts for almost 60% of all land transport emissions, and so a transition to low emissions vehicles, including EVs, is a necessary step-change to effect a substantial reduction in transport emissions.
The Government has already committed significant funding to support low emitting vehicles through the National Development Plan, which currently includes an allocation of almost €500 million for the period 2021-2025 and additional support from the Climate Action Fund. This funding includes both capital grants to support the purchase of EVs and capital funding for the delivery of EV charging infrastructure.
€100m has been allocated in 2022 to ensure the continued transition to electric vehicles. This is an almost doubling of the provision made available in 2021 and underpins the Government’s commitment to making electric vehicles accessible to all. This funding 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. Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), has been established to coordinate this work.
This includes:
- A purchase grant scheme for fully electric passenger cars and vans, and the refocusing of exchequer funding on zero tailpipe emission vehicles.
- Continuation and expansion of the home charging infrastructure scheme to include multi-unit dwellings.
- Continuation of a grant scheme for taxi and hackney drivers.
- Continuation of an alternatively fuelled heavy goods vehicles purchase grant scheme.
- Continuation of the Low Emission Vehicle Toll Incentive Scheme.
- Introduction of a revised scheme for public point charging.
- Introduction of a new scheme for electric vans.
- Introduction of a new scheme for destination charging.
The uptake of EVs in Ireland has been steadily increasing and has risen from circa 26,000 at the end of 2020, to over 47,000 at the end of 2021 and increasing to over 64,700 to the end of July 2022. The CAP 21 EV trajectory indicates that there should be 64,110 EVs on the road by the end of 2022 in order to reach our 2030 targets. This figure was surpassed by the end of July with EV sales continuing to increase despite overall car registrations being down on the same period last year. EVs now represent over 20%of the market share.
At a policy level, the Department of Transport continues to support the need to assist the transition to driving electric. The means to incentivise EV purchases are forming part of the Budget 2023 deliberations between this Department and the Minister for Finance.
