Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Government has committed to having 1 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030, which is welcome. The problem, however, is that the cost of purchasing such vehicles, compared to a petrol or diesel car, is far too high. Moreover, the batteries must be replaced after eight years at a crazy cost of more than €10,000. On Claire Byrne's television programme last Monday a family spoke about all of the good things they were doing to combat climate change. They had test driven an electric car and were very impressed with it. The reality, however, is that electric vehicles are too expensive for most families. After eight years electric vehicle owners must either replace the battery at a cost of more than €10,000 or scrap the car. How does scrapping cars help in dealing with climate change? The Minister, Deputy Bruton, initially provided funding for batteries, but down the road can some grant be given to help families and individuals who would like to purchase an electric car?

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