Call for Irish Government to Step Up EV Adoption to Fight Climate Change and Improve Public Health

A new consumer website is calling for the Irish government to do more to support electric car adoption as a means of tackling the country’s emissions in the face of climate change, and to address air quality issues.

Launched today, IrishEVs is Ireland’s first independent consumer advice website for electric cars, offering guides to available grants, charging and how to convert your existing petrol or diesel car into an EV.

In 2019, Ireland reported the third second-highest greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, with transport accounting for the largest contributor of harmful emissions. The Irish government is bound to reducing emissions to 20% below 2005 levels by the end of 2020 – but is actually on course to increase them, putting the target of carbon neutrality by 2050 in doubt.

With more than 500,000 early deaths in Europe directly attributed to the emissions from road vehicles, increased adoption of electric vehicles – which do not emit any emissions – could help public health, as well as reducing our environmental impact.

Tom Spencer, Editor of IrishEVs, said: “With talks underway to form the next Irish government, it is crucial that meaningful environmental policies take precedent and that fast progress is made in this area. We have heard ‘we will’ far too often in recent years, and this isn’t good enough with such a short window to tackle climate change before it is too late – this is exemplified by the ban on internal combustion engine sales in 2030, which is too little, too late.”

“Electric cars can play a central role in reducing Ireland’s emissions over a short period of time, particularly when paired with the installation of solar power at home. If the next government is serious about tackling climate change, they need to further reduce VRT for electric cars and offer better funding for renewable energy installations in people’s homes – particularly battery storage.”

Countries with similar population size and density to Ireland, such as Sweden, have been quick to adopt electric vehicles as part of their climate action strategies. Sweden now emits less than half of the greenhouse gases that Ireland generates annually, with EVs accounting for 26% of all cars on the road.

The price of electric vehicles has dropped rapidly in recent years and many electric cars now sell for the same price as comparative petrol or diesel models, while reducing annual running costs by 74% according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

For more information, visit: www.irishevs.com