Ireland has one of the highest search rates in Europe for electric vehicles 

Ireland was one of the first countries to have a charging infrastructure that 'really put us up ahead of the pack', but 'we have fallen behind from where we need to be', Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Irish interest in owning electric vehicles (EVs) is growing, with searches for the cars here now outstripping most other European countries, new research has found.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has admitted that Ireland remains far behind where it needs to be to handle the coming surge in the next decade, as motorists and policymakers alike look to oust their fossil fuel-powered vehicles for more environmentally-friendly transport.