Written answers

Thursday, 16 December 2021

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Electric Vehicles

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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20. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Ireland has taken a decision to phase out subsidies for hybrid vehicles in favour of all-electric vehicles. [62373/21]

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The SEAI grant scheme aims to encourage behavioural change and support the Government’s commitment to achieving a 51% reduction in transport emissions by 2030.

The grant schemes are kept under continuous review to ensure that they are as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort.

In the past year, many new BEVs with ranges of over 400km on a single charge have been introduced to the Irish market. Range anxiety is no longer an issue for electric vehicle purchasers, and while PHEVs provided an interim option, but emit both CO2 and air pollution emissions, this interim option is no longer necessary. Government supports should be provided to full electric vehicles, which will be the most effective means of reaching our carbon reduction pathway.

Minister Ryan and I announced after the budget that grant support for PHEVs will be removed from 1 January 2022. Any PHEV which registers for the grant in accordance with the scheme rules before this date will be approved and the commitment carried forward into Q1 2022. However, from 1 January 2022 the SEAI will no longer accept grant applications in respect of PHEVs.

Under the Terms and Conditions of the grant process, drawdowns normally need to be made by year end (31 Dec). However, due to the slowdown in global car manufacturing, we will be extending this drawdown date to 31 March 2021, to allow time for customers to take final possession of the vehicle.

It should be noted that PHEV owners will still be able to avail of other incentives currently in place including:

- Tolling reductions of 25% up to a threshold of €500 per annum per household for private vehicles and a maximum annual threshold of €1,000 for commercial vehicles;

- Low rate of annual motor tax; and

- Home charger grant of €600 per household.

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