The Irish government has announced that it is to give grants of €5,000 to buyers of electric cars.
The news comes as the country’s government, along with its largest electricity firm, ESB, also announce a collaboration with the Renault-Nissan Alliance today.
Together, the government hopes that the agreement will develop Ireland as a country at the forefront of the electric car revolution. The agreement outlines plans for ESB to establish a nationwide charging infrastructure while the Renault-Nissan Alliance will supply electric cars to the country from 2011. Meanwhile the Irish government has agreed it will support the plans to boost electric car use through a series of policies and incentives including the €5,000 incentive-similar to the one already announced in the UK.
Ireland will also make electric cars exempt from Vehicle Registration Tax too.
Under the agreement, ESB will roll out 3,500 charge points nationwide by December 2011. The rollout has already begun in Dublin and charging points will also be installed in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick. ESB also plans to install 30 fast charge points across Ireland by the end of 2011, with nine expected to be set up by the end of this year.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan said: “The Irish Government’s target is for 10 per cent of Ireland’s vehicles to be electric by 2020. Today’s Agreement with Nissan-Renault will see 2,000 cars on Irish roads by 2011. This keeps us firmly on track to achieve, if not exceed, our goals.
Nissan will supply its all-electric, five-seater LEAF hatchback to Ireland in early 2011 while Renault will launch its light commercial electric vehicle, Kangoo Z.E., later in the year. By the end of 2011, Renault will also supply 100 pre-production Fluence Z.E.s for a pilot project in Ireland. Fluence Z.E., an electric sedan for both private and professional use, will go on sale in Ireland in 2012.
Today’s Definitive Agreement follows a Memorandum Understanding signed by the three parties last April to study the promotion of electric vehicles in Ireland.
Eric Basset, managing director of Renault Ireland, said: “Due to its relatively small size, Ireland is ideally suited for the introduction of electric vehicles and as a pilot for the rest of Europe, As the population of Ireland is predominantly centered around the major urban areas of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, and with the average vehicle covering approximately 75 km per day, electric vehicles are ideally suited to address the every day needs of both private and business use.”
The announcement follows the news of that the country’s first electric car from a major carmaker has been registered. A Mitsubishi i-MiEV made history when it arrived at Dublin Port at the start of the month. An additional 14 i-MIEV’s will arrive in Ireland this June.
