The Government seems determined to stick by its ambitious target to have 945,000 electric vehicles on our roads by 2030. It is encouraged by the latest sales figures, which show 21 per cent of new cars are fully electric or plug-in hybrids. The demand is there, even if the supply of new EVs is badly affected by global production delays.
While many in the motor trade regard the Government’s 2030 target as fanciful, the public is not hung up on the headline figure. What matters to motorists is the State’s strategy in relation to EV support grants and charging infrastructure.
Two issues influence a potential EV purchase: price and the ability to recharge the car. On price, the current grants and tax relief on the purchase of new EVs is expected to taper off or end within the next few years. Then it will be down to car companies to offer EVs at competitive prices.
The Government doesn’t have to use taxpayer money to stoke the interest of private buyers in electric vehicles. Instead, its priority is to improve the State’s recharging infrastructure. The Government strategy is built around a belief that the best place for EV owners to charge their cars is at home, ideally overnight. While home charging might take longer, this approach also fits with the advice of car makers that regular slower charging is better for the batteries. Rapid chargers are best suited to support motorists during longer journeys rather than everyday recharging.
With that in mind, the decision to expand grants for installing charging points to all house owners and apartment dwellers is to be welcomed.
More work needs to be done with local authorities and commercial premises. The rollout of public charging points has often lacked co-ordination, while grants do not adequately reflect installation costs. This needs to be a priority for the newly created Zero Emissions Vehicles Ireland) office. Its role is to coordinate the Government’s strategy, something that should have been in place years ago. Irish motorists are ready to make the switch. The Government’s role should be to make it as easy as possible.