Ms Laura Behan:

There were a number of issues regarding electric cars. The Deputy asked about the ratio between battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. In Ireland, we have an unusual profile in that regard. Most of our European counterparts have seen more plug-in hybrid vehicles sold than full-battery electric vehicles. In Ireland ,our ratio was previously 3:1. This year, for the first time, it has moved to 2:1. As Deputy Dooley stated, there has been some slippage to the plug-in hybrid space as opposed to the full-battery electric vehicle. In Ireland, the range is increasing significantly for full-battery electric vehicles. Journey distances in Ireland will be conducive to the range that will be available in battery electric vehicles. It is currently available in some and the range coming on stream over the next year or two will mean that we, unlike our European counterparts, we will probably have a very strong take-up of full-battery electric vehicles here.

The Deputy mentioned the emissions testing regimes that have been put in place in order to give vehicles their certification around climate emissions. When a vehicle is sold it is sold with a particular certificate indicating its climate performance based on a test. There were certainly some very well publicised cases on the accuracy or otherwise of those tests. Those particular cases related to the manipulation of air quality emissions in the testing as opposed to climate emissions. It is undoubtedly the case, however, that in a laboratory setting, where these types of tests are undertaken, the conditions that are deployed in the tests are not the same as real-world driving emissions. We assume there is a certain differential between the certificate base of efficiency or carbon output per kilometre in laboratory testing and real world testing. Across Europe, we have been attempting to deal with that through the introduction of a new testing regime which is a much longer test cycle over a variety of different modes which try to replicate urban driving or long distance driving over a much longer period. The outcomes from that new series of tests will start to be seen on vehicle certificates from next year. They will be introduced from 1 January 2019 and will be fully implemented by 1 January 2020 so all new cars coming on stream over the next couple of years will have their emissions testing outcomes based on a much more rigorous testing model. We expect to see some differences arising from it but we will have a much more accurate representation of the carbon emissions per kilometre.

On the point about the private charging points, which we call destination charging, it is undoubtedly the case that there are a large number of them already. A large number of businesses, shopping centres, hotels and supermarkets make charge points available to their customers in the same way as they make Wi-Fi available and so on. It is very welcome. As the number of electric vehicles in the market increases, we expect that to increase. There is an accelerated capital allowance available for businesses that wish to invest in the provision of those.