Shane Ross insists ‘challenging’ electric car take-up target can be met

The Government’s target to dramatically increase the take up of electric cars can be met, Minister for Transport Shane Ross has insisted.

Mr Ross, who on Thursday bought his own electric car, said that while the targets set out in the Government’s recent Climate Action Plan are “challenging” they can be achieved.

The plan set a target of having 840,000 passenger electric vehicles (EV) on the road by 2030. It also envisages an increase of 95,000 electric vans and trucks and 1,200 buses – almost one million EVs in total – over the same period.

Realistic

Industry figures have questioned if such targets are realistic and it has been reported that Mr Ross and his department lobbied against the one million target.

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Speaking to The Irish Times after he purchased his vehicle on Thursday, Mr Ross insisted: “The targets can be achieved.”

The Dublin Rathdown TD has been trialling a number of EVs in recent weeks and has challenged Green Party leader Eamon Ryan to also purchase an EV.

Mr Ross said Mr Ryan had recently said on radio that he owns a 2003 registered diesel vehicle. Mr Ryan, who is almost always seen cycling to Leinster House, did not return calls.