Department of Transport announces details of eligibility and temporary extensions for EV schemes under Budget 2022

The Department of Transport has today given more details on the increased supports for electric vehicles (EV)s announced under Budget 2022, and further information on eligibility and extensions into next year in recognition of the shortage of semi-conductors.

EVs play a central role in decarbonising our transport sector, and in eliminating emissions from our private car fleet. Budget 2022 has seen a significant funding increase in supporting the switch to electric vehicles and improving the associated recharging infrastructure.

€100m will now be provided over the course of 2022, almost double the level of funding in 2021. This will include:

• Continuation of the purchase grant scheme at existing levels for fully electric passenger cars and vans, and the refocusing of exchequer funding on zero tailpipe emission vehicles.

• From 01 January the PHEV purchase grant of €2,500 will no longer exist, however these vehicles will continue to attract supports including home charger grants and tolls. Please note however that all new applications for Plug in Hybrid Vehicle grants will only be accepted for vehicles delivered, registered, and taxed before the end of December 2021.

• Any PHEV or BEV (above the 60k value threshold) which has an existing grant offer and was due to be delivered in 2021 but has met unforeseen delays due to semi-conductor shortage, may avail of an extension to 31st March 2022.

• This extension will be available to both private motorists and eSPSV (taxi) drivers who have grant offers in the system at the moment.

• Grant applicants should contact the SEAI in relation to private motorist grants, or the NTA for eSPSV grants, to arrange for this extension in relation to vehicles purchased in 2021.

• Continuation and expansion of the home charging infrastructure scheme to include multi-unit dwellings.

• Continuation of a grant scheme for taxi and hackney drivers.

• Continuation of an alternatively fuelled heavy goods vehicles purchase grant scheme.

• Continuation of the Low Emission Vehicle Toll Incentive Scheme.

• Introduction of a revised scheme for public point charging.

• Introduction of a new scheme for electric vans.

• Introduction of a new scheme for destination charging.

Commenting on the EV supports, Minister Ryan said:

“It is important that we continue to support consumers in making the switch to electric vehicles, and I am pleased to confirm a significant increase in supports for fully Electric Vehicles in 2022, and the supporting recharging infrastructure.

The arrival of long range, fully electric, vehicles on the market means that range anxiety can become a thing of the past. A single charge on one of these will cover well over 400km range. While Plug-in Hybrids, provided a part-electric solution for motorists who took longer journeys or were concerned about EV range, they were a compromise in terms of both emissions and air quality. Now that range anxiety has been addressed by manufacturers, we will focus our exchequer resources on fully electric vehicles.

We have an ambitious goal to have almost 1 million electric vehicles in the fleet by 2030, and we are on our way to meeting this target. Already in 2021 we have seen a high purchase level of EVs in the Irish Car market in 2021, with EVs now accounting for 15% of all new car purchases in Ireland this year. However, we still have a long way to go and we need to ensure that we have the right supports in place to get there”.