More than half of Irish adults intend to make the switch to electric vehicles, with cost savings being the main decision driver. According to nationwide research from Allianz*, 7% of Irish drivers claim to already drive an electric vehicle.
With the rise in cost of living and climate change actions, we are bound to see an increase of electric vehicles on our roads in the next few years – better for our pockets, better for the environment.
Almost one in two people choose a cost-saving factor as their main reason for purchasing an electric vehicle. With a public ESB charger, it will cost around €22 for a flat-to-full charge, or you can opt to pay a monthly subscription of €4.79, which is significantly cheaper than rising fuel prices. Charging your car at home can cost as low as five cent per kWh, depending on your electricity provider or the time of day you choose to charge. To paint a clearer picture, for every 100km travelled, an average Irish electric vehicle owner will pay €4.97 in electricity costs. When purchasing a new electric vehicle, don’t forget that the SEAI offers grants of up to €5,000, plus they have a lower motor tax than petrol and diesel cars, so you’ll be sure to cut costs while running an electric vehicle.
For one in four respondents, the next highest factor leading to the switch from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles is that they are better for our environment.
And those who don’t yet own electric vehicles, and intend to do so, cite environmental reasons as the driving factor above cost savings by almost 30%.
*Coyne Research conducted research across a nationally representative base of 1,000 respondents.