Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are in a transition process from diesel and petrol cars to electric cars and that transition will continue for many years. We have set the target that, by 2030, electric cars will make up one third of the vehicles on the roads. To support the achievement of that target, we have in place a €5,000 grant, a €5,000 concession on vehicle registration tax, VRT, a €600 grant for installing a home charger, a lower rate of motor tax and a half-rate charge on tolls. It is a significant package and there has been good progress made. This year we will see close to 4% of drivers opting for electric or plug-in hybrid cars, which is double the number last year. In addition, we will double the number of public chargers this year, at a significant cost to the Exchequer. These measures will support people in making the switch. The cost of batteries is coming down and new technologies will help to make electric vehicles the self-evident choice.

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