Irish Grant for Electric Cars

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Retrofitted EV

€5000 Grant for EVs

The just announced Irish Government Grant of €5000 towards electric cars might be better spent on a national strategy to retrofit existing vehicles.


I have just sent a proposal to Your Country Your Call on this basis. The focus of my proposal is, that instead of importing 100% of electric vehicles EVs over the coming years, and thereby sending some €7bn (my estimate / guesstimate) out of the country, that we set in motion a national plan to retro-fit existing vehicles.

A retrofit EV strategy would:

(1) substantially reduce the money leaving the country on imported electric vehicles,

(2) because of the substantial savings possible over new vehicle purchase price, it would encourage many more people to go electric,

(3) a retrofitting industry would provide new jobs and save existing jobs in the motor trade

(4) stimulate ancillary services,

(5) It would additionally stimulate the economy,

(6) add to national security,

(7) further promote Ireland's sustainability drive,

(8) substantially reduce spending on imported fuels,

(9) spare us scrapping tens of thousands of ICE vehicles, and

(10) last but not least, it would help reduce our carbon footprint.


I have, against my better judgement, posted the suggestion as a proposal to "Your Country Your Call"

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