Only half of Irish motorists intend to drive electric vehicles by 2030, although that is the proposed stopping point for fossil fuel engine sales, new research has shown.
The data shows growing concerns that government green policies need to be stepped up to change consumer habits and reduce carbon emissions.
It also found that less than a third of people (30 percent) believed the goal of one million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030 was actually achievable.
The study, conducted among 1,000 respondents on behalf of gas station retailer Circle K, came just ahead of a government report outlining their strategy of having 936,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads by the end of the decade and a gap between public trust and government Politics highlights.
Even worse about the government’s record of promoting sustainable transport, only 17 percent of respondents think that enough efforts are being made to incentivize electric vehicle purchases. Every third person does not know that there is even a funding program for electric vehicles.
Despite his obligation to ban cars and imports with fossil fuels from 2030, the plan was noticeably missing in last year’s Climate Protection Act.
Private cars are responsible for 12 percent of all European emissions, and moving sales to all-electric models is seen as critical to achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century. By 2030, automakers must reduce emissions from new vehicles by 55 percent and increase to 100 percent in 2035.
Positive results
However, Circle K’s study shows some positive results as two in five motorists would consider switching to an electric vehicle in the next three years. Almost half (43 percent) stated that they were dependent on charging options in garage spaces.
Trends seem to be going in the right direction. Recent figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show a sustained surge in demand for all-electric cars, with sales climbing from 2,954 in the first eight months of last year to 7,057 in the same period this year, a little more than 7 percent of the time Market.
However, the Circle K survey found that 56 percent of motorists found the current charging infrastructure in Ireland to be inadequate, the main reason why those who are not yet ready to go electric. Other doubts were the cost of electric vehicles (mentioned by 37 percent of drivers); lack of knowledge (16 percent); and fear of range (15 percent).
It also found that many would have to rely on other options, as more than a quarter of drivers do not have access to their own parking space at home to charge their cars. But while 57 percent of Dublin’s residents say they are less than 3 miles from a charging station, this drops to 42 percent in Münster and 36 percent in Connacht and Ulster.
Jonathan Diver, Senior Director of Fuel at Circle K Ireland, commented on her research, noting that they have installed charging points in more than a quarter of the sites over the past few years, a strategy she wants to continue.
“We need to get away from fuel products, but make sure we do it gradually and appropriately,” said Mr Diver. “It’s also important to remember that every way you use electric vehicles will be different.”
