Irish drivers eye up electric cars

A recent survey has suggested that Irish motorists are keen to make the change to electric vehicles.

According to a survey carried out by the Automotive Association (AA), almost one in ten Irish motorists intend on making the change to an electric vehicle when they next purchase a car.

In response to an AA Car insurance survey of over 7,000 Irish motorists, 9.21 per cent stated they were ‘very likely’ to make the switch to an electric vehicle when next changing their car. Meanwhile, a further 23.26 per cent of respondents stated they were somewhat likely to avoid purchasing a petrol or diesel vehicle when next buying a car.

AA Director of Consumer Affairs, Conor Faughnan said: “For now, there are still some who have concerns about the technology and the mileage range, but as more and more manufacturers enter the electric vehicle market these fears are becoming something of the past. Today the typical electric car has an effective mileage range of between 200 and 300 kilometres between charges, which for the average motorist who uses their car primarily to commute to and from work is more than enough to meet their needs.”

The survey also found that over 60 per cent of motorists surveyed factor in the environmental impact of their car when purchasing or renting a vehicle. Of those surveyed by the AA, 26.56 per cent of respondents stated they strongly consider the environmental impact of any car they purchase or rent. Meanwhile, a further 35.26 per cent admitted to giving some consideration to the impact of their car usage on their carbon footprint.

“Our individual carbon footprint is something that more and more of us are becoming aware of, which underscores the importance of providing alternatives to the private car across Ireland. While modern cars are cleaner than ever before, as a nation we are overly reliant on the car as a result of a history of inadequate investment in public transport and cycling infrastructure,” Mr Faughnan added.

“Where you build quality cycle lanes and provide reliable public transport, history shows us that people are willing to use it and leave the car at home. However, until we start to make progress in this area, particularly in our cities across Ireland, than we are going to face significant challenges when it comes to meeting our climate change obligations.”