A “mindset change” is needed if Ireland is to reverse the ongoing fall in EV sales.

There were just 10,747 new electric cars registered in Ireland in the first half of this year – down nearly 4,000 on last year.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Geotab Business Development Manager Phil Barnes said the trend across much of Europe was “significantly different”, with higher uptake the norm in most countries. 

“I just think there’s a mindset change that’s needed,” he said. 

“We need to put a few things in the strategy to plan and join things up together.

“People have range anxiety originally when these came out; range is very much a moot point now - most vehicles do sets of 250 km or more. 

“But things like charging anxiety might now be an issue.” 

Electric vehicles charging. Image: Ethan Lau / Alamy

On July 1st last year, the Government’s subsidy for EVs was reduced from €5,000 to €3,500 and the Society of the Irish Motor Industry has called for the subsidy cut to be reversed. 

Mr Barnes described the cut as something that “hasn’t helped” but said there are plenty of other reasons why drivers should buy an EV. 

“Go and see the positive news on things like the Irish EV association,” he said. 

“There’s lots of really positive stories out there - it all comes down to mindset change. 

“We’ve been driving [combustible] for 120 years and it takes a big step for us to start to think about doing things differently.” 

An electric Vehicle charging station. Image: SOPA Images/SIPA USA/PA Images

Mr Barnes said Governments across Europe have introduced a number of different schemes to incentivise EV use and “some are more successful than others”. 

“What we would say is that it’d be great for the Government to put in a review of things like every aspect of taxation that impacts drivers and businesses,” he said. 

“Vehicle choices they make, scrappage schemes, taking older vehicles off the road… what can we do to get those higher polluting vehicles off the road and get [people] into a more sustainable vehicle?

“One of the things that they do in the UK is that there’s now legislation in place where all new builds of houses have to come with the ability to have a charging point - regardless of the type of housing.” 

In 2021, the Government set itself a target of 936,000 EVs on Irish roads by the end of the decade.

Main image: An EV charging.