DUBLIN – The share of electric vehicles (EVs) in total new car sales in Ireland has more than doubled in the first 11 months of this year, the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CSO) said on Wednesday.
During the January-November period of this year, a total of 16,001 new electric vehicles were sold in Ireland, representing 15.83% of all new cars sold in the country, up from 7.5% during the same time last year, the CSO said. in a press release.
Of all new electric vehicles sold in the first 11 months of this year, 8,414 were battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) or electric-only vehicles and 7,587 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
The share of BEVs in total new car sales also fell from 4.6% in the first 11 months of 2020 to 8.3% in 2021, the CSO said.
A total of 101,021 new cars were sold in Ireland in the first 11 months of this year, up 21.3% year-on-year, according to the CSO.
In a recently released climate action plan, the Irish government said it aims to increase the number of electric vehicles in the country to 945,000 by 2030 as part of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse.
Currently there are 45,000 electric vehicles in Ireland, according to the climate action plan.
The Irish government provides a wide range of support to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles.
These include a maximum grant of 5,000 euros (5,670 US dollars) for the purchase of a new BEV at a price below 60,000 euros and a grant of up to 600 euros for the installation of a domestic charger for new and used BEVs or PHEVs.
BEV users in Ireland also benefit from a 50% discount on tolls on bridges and roads across the country.