Ireland Offers €5,000 Scrappage Grant for EVs, Totaling €8,500 Support
Ireland is launching a €5,000 scrappage grant on July 1 for owners trading in vehicles over 13 years old for new EVs. This combines with an existing €3,500 grant, offering up to €8,500 in support. The €10 million pilot targets 2,000 applications, with 65% of funds for rural areas, aiming to accelerate EV adoption and reduce running costs.
The Irish government will offer a new €5,000 scrappage grant to car owners who trade in vehicles over 13 years old for a new electric vehicle (EV). This initiative, opening July 1 with €10 million allocated for a pilot, aims to encourage the transition from petrol and diesel cars to EVs.
This €5,000 grant is in addition to the existing €3,500 EV purchase grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), bringing the total potential support to €8,500 per vehicle. The scheme applies only to new, fully electric vehicles, excluding hybrids and second-hand cars. 65% of the funding (€6.5 million) is reserved for applicants outside Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford, with the remaining 35% for those within these five cities, supporting 2,000 applications.
Paddy Comyn, motoring columnist, notes significant savings beyond the purchase price, citing annual running costs of €780 for EVs compared to €2,200 for petrol/diesel cars. Maintenance costs for older vehicles can be substantial, and EV motor tax is €120 annually, much lower than the €180-€600 for older cars. Public policy expert Oisín Coghlan highlights the scheme's benefit for long-term car owners and its focus on rural areas, where car dependency is higher. However, he cautions that drivers without home charging options might hesitate.