Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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349. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the estimated cost of abolishing the motor tax charge of €120 on electric cars; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22372/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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1,393 electric cars were either taxed or declared off the road as of 30 June 2016. Based on the annual motor tax rate of €120, the current cost of abolishing motor tax for electric vehicles is just over €167,000.

In order to incentivise the use of electric cars, the annual rate for electric cars taxed on the basis of engine capacity was reduced from €157 to €120 in Budget 2013. A new zero emissions band at the same rate was created for electric cars that are taxed on the basis of carbon dioxide emissions. Prior to that, these cars had been taxed into the lowest carbon emissions band (0-120g/km) at an annual rate of €160.