Environment experts hit out at proposed delay to switch to electric vehicles
Reduce Recklessly And Premature Government The Irresponsible Decision To The Buying Of From Crisis' Climate Evs In 'a Decision Face For The Government's The Grant
Proposals to allow cars with internal combustion engines on European roads beyond 2035 if powered by so-called e-fuels have been heavily criticised by environmental experts for delaying the transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
After political pressure from Germany, the commission will likely propose a compromise on banning petrol and diesel cars from sale in 2035 by allowing cars that run on "carbon neutral" fuel.
E-fuels are a type of synthetic fuel made from electricity and water. While they can be a useful way to reduce fossil fuel dependence, the technology is far too early to scale up, environmental experts have said.
Germany, one of the world's leading car manufacturers, has been joined by Italy in lobbying to change what had originally been proposed by 2035, an outright ban on fossil-fuel-powered cars.
Editor of IrishEVs.com Tom Spencer said the proposals "are just the latest in a long line of delaying tactics and technologies that are completely at odds with the urgent actions that we need to take in the face of the climate crisis".
He pointed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report this week that said nothing but a swift reduction in emissions in the coming decade will suffice if global warming is to be limited to 1.5C, the figure cited by scientists as the limit to stave off the worst fallout from climate change.
The IPCC said there were multiple options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but progress had been marred by the sluggish pace of action in the past five years.
Mr Spencer pointed to research from pan-European sustainable travel non-governmental organisation Transport & Environment that shows e-fuels will not nearly come close to being able to supply Europe's cars by 2035.
"The reality is that we simply don't need e-fuels in the first place, and the debate around them is distracting from the fact that we need to end internal combustion engine sales much sooner than 2035," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Spencer blasted the Government's decision to reduce the grant for buying EVs.
Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland, a Department of Transport office, confirmed the maximum grant for buying an EV will be €3,500 for applications from July 1, down from the €5,000 currently.
The grant, administered by the Sustainable Authority of Ireland, has been in place since 2011, assisting more than 40,000 EV purchases.
Mr Spencer said: "This is a recklessly irresponsible and premature decision from the Government in the face of the climate crisis. Seventy six per cent of all the new cars sold in Ireland last year were entirely reliant on fossil fuels to run, and removing these grants will lead more people to buy internal combustion engine vehicles in the coming years.
"Maintaining the grants to cut the initial cost to purchase was essential to increase EV ownership, while new incentives should have been introduced to kick-start an affordable second-hand EV market that could reduce energy poverty.”
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