Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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114. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are further supports available to owners of electric vehicles given the escalating cost of electricity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47463/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Government's grant scheme for electric vehicles aims to encourage behavioural change and support the Government’s commitment to achieving a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030.

A wide range of supports are provided to incentivise the purchase of EVs which include:

- A grant of €5000 for battery electric vehicles (BEVs);

- Home Charger grant scheme - up to €600;

- VRT relief of up to €5,000 for the purchase of BEVs;

- Benefit-in-Kind tax relief for battery electric vehicles;

- eSPSV grant scheme

- AFHDV grant scheme

- Low rate of annual motor tax; and

- Tolling reductions of 50% for battery electric vehicles and 25% for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

The grant schemes are kept under continuous review to ensure that they are as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort. Notwithstanding the recent increases in the price of electricity, an EV remains much less expensive to run than a petrol or diesel car.

This Department convened the Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway (EVPP) Working Group to produce a roadmap to achieving the 2030 EV target. That group comprised senior officials and considered regulatory, financial, and taxation policies to help drive a significant ramp-up in passenger EVs and electric van sales.  The recommendations of the EVPP Working Group were approved by Government and the full report is now available online. 

In order to support the transition to EVs, the Group recommended that the generous suite of EV supports already in place in Ireland should be retained until at least end-2022. Additional measures to further incentivise EVs and/or disincentive fossil-fuelled vehicles will also be necessary. A cross departmental committee has been established to implement the recommendations and is due to report on progress in Q4 this year.  

On 21st July I launched a new dedicated Office, Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland, which will oversee and accelerate Ireland’s transition to zero emission vehicles. A suite of new initiatives have been launched with further information available at: www.gov.ie/zevi