Majority of public doubt 1m electric vehicles target will be met by 2030 

EV experts warned the Government last week that despite a range of new measures being announced to encourage the mass consumer switch, the affordability issue was being ignored.

More than half of Irish people are skeptical that 1m electric vehicles (EV) will be on the road by 2030, with two-thirds believing upfront costs are the biggest barrier.

If the survey of 1,000 people by Aviva Insurance Ireland is an accurate snapshot of Irish drivers, initial costs trump range anxiety and a lack of charging points as the biggest worry.

The findings echo EV experts, who warned the Government last week that despite a range of new measures being announced to encourage the mass consumer switch, the affordability issue was being ignored.

Aviva's survey found just 12% of people believed the Government’s target was realistic as it currently stands.

Ireland has pledged to tackle transport emissions by having 1m EVs on the road by 2030, but despite sales growing rapidly in recent months, it is not nearly fast enough to reach the ambitious figure.

Environment and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan last week announced a range of new measures to entice would-be EV drivers, including a charging grant for homes without driveways — such as apartments and duplexes — and an extension of the home charger grant to people who do not already own an EV.

However, editor of IrishEVs.com Tom Spencer warned most people could not afford to buy an EV in the first place, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.

"The vast majority of people simply cannot afford the upfront cost, and research from Trinity College Dublin earlier this year demonstrated that current grants only benefit those who can already afford to make the switch," he said.

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The Aviva survey backs up Mr Spencer's assertion, with 54% believing 1m EVs by 2030 is not possible, and 34% thinking it is only achievable if available grants are improved.

Some 71% cited the initial cost as the biggest barrier, followed by 64% pointing to chargers and range anxiety.