Adjunct professor in economics at Trinity College Dublin John Fitzgerald joined Jonathan Healy to discuss why it's not too late to make the switch to hybrid vehicles.

Those who switched to electric vehicles have so far been spared by the soaring prices at the pump in the aftermath of the conflict in the Middle East. 

A study published by The Irish Times revealed the geographical difference between people who were buying electric cars, putting solar panels on their roofs. 

The study found that most people moving away from fossil fuels were based in the East and West. 

“Unfortunately, people continue to buy fossil fuel cars, which makes their lives more expensive”, adjunct professor in economics at Trinity College Dublin John Fitzgerald said. 

Speaking to host Jonathan Healy on the Claire Byrne Show, he said people are reluctant to make the switch from fossil fuels to electric vehicles due to force of habit and technical concerns. 

“There were range anxiety issues but now EVs have a decent range and charging is more widely available. 

“There is still an inconvenience factor of not being able to charge at home and having to rely on  external chargers so savings aren’t quite as much.”

A man watches a fuel pump as he fills his car at a gas pump at a Total gas station. Photo by Adam Berry.

He noted however, that it was up for consumers to decide between paying a load more for petrol or taking a little bit of inconvenience and running with an EV. 

Mr Fiztgerald told Newstalk, that the bulk of people are still buying cars that need petrol or diesel, committing to a really expensive way of getting around the country and seemed “unwise”. 

“One of the things the government should have done four years ago was substantially increase the tax on fossil fuel cars coming into the country,” he added. 

“It all depends on how you use the car. If you're only commuting around the city, then the plug in hybrid will actually make a difference. If you do a decent amount of long distance driving, well, it's just like another hybrid. Because you're not able to use the plug in aspect of it.”

Main Image: The "hybrid" badge. Photo by Tim Boyle.