THE Irish Government will give drivers grants of up to €8,500 to help them switch from traditional cars to electric vehicles.
Some €10m in funding has been allocated for a new ICE2EV scrappage scheme, which is hoped will speed up the transition to more environmentally friendly cars across the country.
“It is a targeted measure to reduce emissions, by removing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles aged over 13 years from Ireland’s private car fleet and replacing them with new battery electric vehicles (EVs),” a Department of Transport spokesperson confirmed.
Launching on July 1, the grants will be administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
“There are almost 235,000 EVs on Irish roads today, and we are on course to reach many multiples of that figure in the coming years,” Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien said as he launched the scheme.
“I want to support even more households to switch away from older, more polluting cars and on to electric vehicles,” he added.
“So, for anyone considering changing an older car, I encourage you to make the move from ICE to EV.
“It is a practical and effective step towards reducing emissions and improving air quality across Ireland.”
Under the ICE2EV scheme eligible grant applicants can receive €5k for the permanent removal of a qualifying ICE vehicle registered in 2013 or earlier.
The payment must be used towards the purchase of a new battery electric vehicle.
This is in addition to an existing €3,500 EV grant scheme, administered by the SEAI, bringing the total funding available up to €8,500 per vehicle.
Some 65 per cent of the ICE2EV scheme’s funds will be ring-fenced for drivers in rural areas in Ireland, where there is a higher dependency on cars.
The remaining 35 per cent going to urban based applicants.
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