Random EV thoughts.....

There's a few bright spots, for one thing they actually acknowledge that installing chargers is key to EV uptake. Generally government bodies have been quite happy to wave around the current grants and ignore the flaws with them

I actually think a dedicated EV office would be good, instead of playing pass the buck with a bunch of government departments

True, I'm not sure the SEAI are the ones that should own that office though as it wont really be an EV office then but just a backdoor to solidify the SEAI's existence and get more funding for themselves. I'm just skeptical of their track record.... lots of paperwork is what they are good at.... maybe I'm being harsh but its my experience of them.

More stories on the report

"Tax relief on electric vehicles should be extended beyond the end of this year but the relief should apply only to cars priced less than €40,000, according to proposals from the Tax Strategy Group (TSG).

The Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) relief of up to €5,000 on electric vehicles is due to expire at the end of 2021. However, the Government advisory group has called for these to be extended beyond this deadline while the current threshold of €40,000 should be reduced to €30,000 from next year.

Currently, the €5,000 VRT relief on electric vehicles begins to taper off from €40,000, ending at €50,000. Under the new proposals, it would mean that a new electric car priced at €30,000 would receive the full €5,000 relief, but new or imported cars priced at €40,000 or more would not benefit from the tax relief."

Will this see a drop in prices next year similar to what happened in the UK, or will the chip shortages/delays keep the prices where they are now or drive them even higher?

Not too many options starting under 30k

sub 30k you have the MG, Zoe, eCorsa, e208, so not exactly slim pickings...

I don't know why but I'm really fond of the Zoe ZE50, with its 395km WLTP....

Those cars are only just sub the 30k and that's including the existing grants. If you look at the base price before grants and VRT (ie the book OMSP) they will be over 30k.

And I wouldnt be reccomending anyone buy an outdated zoe or leaf, or a mini with 200km range as their first ev

A friend of mine in the U.K. just had a pod point charger installed, and since it’s been in his neighbour is complaining that it’s affecting her TV (which comes via an aerial on the roof).

Anyone any experience of similar? And any possible solution? He said is charger is a smart Pod Point charger.

Has he switched it off to confirm if has any affect on the neighbour's tv?

I think it was Mad_Lad IIRC

Must be all the 5g in the air, stopping her from watching GB news as well as giving everyone covid 🤣

Ireland is probably too small for fastned to consider. They tend to go big. ESB also already have a sort of network with relatively low prices, hard to compete with. It would be relatively easy to find out grid connection costs and population density and traffic volumes, and factor in existing chargers. Main issue would be total cost for install.

In NI grid costs are far higher, which turned off petrol stations and Ionity, there is talk of charging this or subsidising the costs of new high power connections. I forsee chargers located where power lines cross motorways, with a cafe coming along eventually. Big sites are the future, not ones and twos. Grid connection costs are a big part of the cost, but you would also need a motorway exit nearby.

"August was a special month for the European market, as the plug-in sales for the very first time outsold diesel cars!

In August, EVs and plug-in hybrids outsold their diesel counterparts. This time last year, the volume of EVs was 158,300 units less than diesel car registrations, however last month we saw these EVs outsell diesel vehicles by 10,100 units."

Some definitely do.

We have work colleagues who make a big fuss about getting a spot on the work charger to charge their PHEVs.

I know it's bad, but am I the only one who was having a bit of a laugh at the fuel queues in the UK and thinking of all the ICE drivers who wouldn't get an EV because they have to queue for a charger?

True but I think it's more likely we'll see dramatic jumps in the cost of electricity, more than what we've been getting to date

Since we don't have a price cap, suppliers can raise prices as much as they want, and there isn't as much competition so unlikely we'll see the rake of energy companies closing down like the UK

Roll on the Celtic interconnector, get some energy from the continent when the UK decides to cut us off for being a bunch of insolent Paddy's