Green strips on the number plates of Electric Vehicles will encourage people to give up their petrol and diesel cars ‘for the sake of their children’, Eamon Ryan has argued.
Eagle eyed observers might have noticed a number of cars on the roads with the small green strips on their side, denoting that the car is an EV.
Currently, roughly one in four new cars sold in Ireland are EVs and most buyers ask for the green strip to be included on their licence plate.
On Newstalk Breakfast, former Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the idea is to give EVs some positive advertising.
“We need people buying electric because they're so much better,” he argued.
“And we need it to become the dominant car; so, that green band at the end of the license plate, some might give out and say that's ‘virtue signalling’ - yes, it is.
“It's a signal; firstly, you're not on your own tackling climate change, but also this is the type of car we need to go for.
“Ireland, we're very well placed to adopt electric vehicles; 80% of the houses have a driveway or a one off house in the countryside - so, they're easy to charge.”
Eamon Ryan with an EV charger in 2010. Picture by: Alamy.com.In 2024, transport accounted for 42.3% of Ireland’s carbon emissions and reducing that figure is key if the Government is to meet its ambitious climate targets.
Last year, there were 196,000 EVs on Irish roads and the Government hopes that 30% of the national fleet will be electric by 2030.
With Europe now enduring record summer heat, Mr Ryan hopes it serves as a reminder that consumer choices can make a difference
“The green band is there to say switch to electric for the sake of your children to answer that question,” he said.
“If a child is asking you, ‘Daddy, Mummy, why are we driving a car which is killing the planet?’
“When you look out the window, you can see all these other cars with this green band showing that it's possible to go the other way.”
All new EVs sold in Ireland receive an SEAI Electric Vehicle Grant of up to €3,500.
Main image: A split of a green EV number plate and Eamon Ryan. Pictures by: Alamy.com and RollingNews.ie.
