How long until we see €2 a litre and will it push more to EV's faster?

Motor tax in general is a bad way to tax people anyway. If you added 1c to the price of fuel you'd cover a lot more than what the tax brings in. Given that a more efficient car is using less fuel you're still promoting the lower emissions vehicles

Are groceries / booze etc. cheaper up there?

If you can save on multiple items it might be more worth your while.

Is that not a bit like saying that the USC is not a tax that goes into the general Govt coffers?

Motor tax isn't ring fenced for roads. So we've no idea how much is used for any road if any.

And again the vast majority of "EVs" on the road are hybrids so ICE. So small battery big engine. The impact of BEVs on the road will be minimal there just aren't that many on the road.

34,604 new registrations in January,

Hybrid 28.28%

PHEV 14.56%.

Bev 21.15%.

Petrol 20.94%

Diesel 12.48%

Basically 80% of cars sold still have an engine. Every other year's is been more than 80%. So this is the best ever for BEVs.

There is no way that of all the cars on the road that 20% of cars have a bigger impact on roads and motor tax than 80%.

It's a false narrative and it has an impact. We can see in New Zealand that BEVs are disproportionately targeted with pay per mile.

People are hedging their bets and going mild hybrid. As the EU noted as a general trend switching to hybrid is really fudging the emissions and fuel consumption and not delivering what it claims to.

Any tax cutting on fuel due to rising prices will only encourage the shift to hybrid rather than BEV. At some point we'll all be scratching our heads why emissions targets are still off, and oil is still king.

Upside will less demand on public chargers.

For my personal opinion while I have one EV and one ICE and do low mileage. When it comes to the replacing the to ICE. Unless have a big investment in Solar and home batteries. Looking at the total cost of ownership a second BEV isn't a slam dunk. The govt and market are pushing me to another ICE.

I think fuel prices will be kept in check so that won't really be an issue. It's just spiking at the moment.

If gas goes up. Lecky on the way up then

They use gas for refining.

Gas has gone up, but refinery profits on diesel has gone into the stratosphere.

The lowest rate in 2008 was 105 . Now its 200. They will just bring the rates up.

Or add taxes to electricity or put a minimun unit price on electricity

Just like they did on alcohol.

Another reason for motor tax income to be dropping is cars are turning vintage and going on the 56 euro rate.

i know several people daily driving their vintage car

In answer to the questions about things being cheaper in the north.

I bought slabs of magners 440ml x18 for 10 sterling.

15 bulmers 440ml were on offer down here for 25 euro.

No recycling fee in the north eithre

Cars becoming 30 years old isn't a new phenomenon

That's partially true. The limit for a Jerry can is 10L , and you can only put a max of €400 into a vehicle.

Not many cars take €400 of fuel.

https://spectator.sme.sk/business/c/diesel-restrictions-introduced-in-slovakia-to-ease-supply-pressure

If it comes close to fuel shortages the government should recommend WFH for businesses that can and also government departments. Might help out slightly. I know a lot of depts are but maybe state 1 day in the office and recommend private companies to do the same.

do many people use HVO100? anytime I get it at the pumps the last sale on screen is always petrol or reguar diesel.

A limit like that here would be unlikely to affect farmers, public transport, movement of critical goods or critical workers