Irish people must embrace electric cars

Irish people have taken some green measures to their hearts. We’ve embraced recycling, got rid of plastic bags, are taking pride in clean towns and villages, and see potential in wind energy. However, it seems we’re not yet ready for the electric car.

One in five new cars sold here must be electric within four years if we are to reach the country’s renewable energy targets, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority. In 2015, however, electric car sales accounted for 0.23% of all new sales, or 562 vehicles. Some chance of a sea change in attitudes in four years.

As in many other areas of life nowadays, the tendency is to look to the EU to see what’s happening there. While use of electric vehicles is increasing, they make up only 1.2% of passenger car sales in the EU. Also, electric cars only account for 0.15% of Europe’s total car fleet. This trend is bucked somewhat in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands.