Budget 2025 represents a reset moment for the Irish EV industry, experts warn.
With electric vehicle (EV) sales in Ireland now entering their sixth consecutive month of contraction, the Irish Government has been called on to do more to accelerate sales.
Motor industry group SIMI has signalled a -29.3% fall in sales in August.
“If other countries can maintain momentum behind the zero-emissions movement, then there is no reason why Ireland cannot follow suit”
Digital transport business Geotab said that Ireland has continued to drop down the league for EV sales in Europe.
It said that in July alone, the only other EU27 country that saw a larger fall in the number of EVs sold than Ireland was Germany.
Time to up EV sales a gear
The Irish Government’s target of having 945,000 zero-emission vehicles on Irish roads by 2030 now looks highly unlikely, warned Geotab vice-president David Savage.
The August figures do not indicate that this downward cycle is about to stop anytime soon, which is worrying as Ireland needs to see EV sales level out soon in order for a recovery to begin again.
“It’s time to admit that the goal of 945,000 zero-emission vehicles on Irish roads by 2030 is highly unlikely. We need to look at why Ireland is selling fewer EVs every month, when countries like France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and the UK are all seeing growth. We can’t simply blame this on the public perception of EVs, when people are voting with their wallets and driving off the forecourt in zero-emission vehicles in other countries.
“Budget 2025 represents a reset moment for the Irish EV industry and many stakeholders have made a variety of recommendations that could potentially boost the market. Some of the good ideas include PwC’s recommendation to extend grants to the purchase of used EVs; FTA Ireland’s call to overhaul VRT categorisation for electric light commercial vehicles; and Irish Rural Link’s submission, which points out a grant to help households upgrade their electrics which could support home charging.
“Regardless of what specific actions are pursued, the overall objective at this point in time has to be to reverse the slide in EV sales. If other countries can maintain momentum behind the zero-emissions movement, then there is no reason why Ireland cannot follow suit.”
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