Waterford council stops parking incentive for EV drivers

Waterford City and County Council has said the incentive it had  cannot continue given the surge in purchases of electric vehicles

Waterford City and County Council will continue to operate free parking for EV and Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) vehicles while charging at designated public EV charging points throughout the city and county. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Free parking for electric vehicles is to be stopped in Waterford because of  the rise in the numbers of the cars being bought.

Despite a 12% decline in new car registrations last year, electric vehicles have seen strong demand according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI). 

Last year 15,591 new electric cars were registered, an increase of 83% since 2021.

Last November alone, 343 new electric vehicles were registered compared to 190 in the same period last year.

Waterford City and County Council has said the incentive it had for EV drivers cannot continue given the surge in purchases.

In a statement the council said the electric vehicles have been allowed to park free-of-charge in public Pay and Display areas in Waterford for several years.

However, it said that following a review of parking charges and given the significant increase in the number of EVs on the roads, free parking will end.

“Following a review of our parking charges and given the significant increase in the numbers of EVs on the roads, the council cannot continue to sustain this incentive," it said.

Accordingly public free parking for EVs within the council’s pay and display car parks and streets will cease from February 1, this year.

The Council will continue to operate free parking for EV and Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) vehicles while charging at designated public EV charging points throughout the city and county.

The local authority will also be facilitating a significant investment which will see 12 new fast EV charging points being delivered across the city and county throughout this year.

According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), at the end of October last year there were “over 67,000” electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, on the road in Ireland.

The government currently has a target that there will be 945,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads by 2030 with 845,000 of these being private passenger cars.

This includes battery EVs and plug-in hybrids but not petrol/diesel hybrids. This will be equivalent to one-third of the 2.8m vehicles that are currently on the road in Ireland.

Ireland has also set itself the target of ending the sale of cars powered just by fossil fuels by 2030.