Calls for larger grants for electric vehicles in rural areas

There is a call for drivers in rural areas to get larger grants towards the cost of electric vehicles.

Former Environment Minister Richard Bruton believes the government needs to ‘double down’ on electrification.

Since 2020, just one in 29 cars sold in Co Roscommon has been electric.

In Dublin, Kildare and Meath they make up one in six and one in seven new car registrations.

Professor of Transportation, Brian Caulfield from Trinity College Dublin says cost could be a factor in the rural urban divide:

“We have done some research on this, that does show that in the more affluent areas of the country, which tend to be the urban areas around Dublin and Cork and the other cities, there is a much higher take up of these electric cars.

They tend to be the second car that people are purchasing. So it could be a cost thing.”