THE MAJORITY OF Irish consumers are contemplating buying an electric vehicle, according to research from Donedeal and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Figures released today show that 70% of Irish consumers are considering an electric vehicle as their next car purchase.

However, concerns about the range of electric vehicles continues to be a hurdle for almost a quarter of people. 

A survey of 1,000 car buyers on the country’s largest car website also found that 2022 was the first year ever in which an electric vehicle, the Volkswagen ID.4, was the most in-demand new car on Donedeal.

Onsite demand for new and used electric vehicles (EVs) grew by 33% in 2022, while demand for diesel fell 39% during the same period.

A hybrid vehicle – the Hyundai Tucson – was the third most-sought-after new car last year while the Hyundai Ioniq 5, an EV, ranked fifth.

With the supply constraints on new electric vehicles, used EVs may account for a large percentage of EV targets over the next decade.

However, top of the list of concerns buyers have around buying a used EV is how many years battery life they have left (a concern for 83% of respondents).

Concerns over the range that a used EV battery can achieve were a consideration  for 78% of respondents.

The psychological phenomenon of “range anxiety” was found to be a persistent hurdle for Irish consumers, and Sharkey noted that improving Ireland’s charging infrastructure will be necessary for the further adoption of EVs. 

There are currently 1,350 EV charging points on the island of Ireland, operated and maintained by the ESB.

In comparison, Norway currently has 17,000 charging stations across the country to accommodate their relatively similar population of just over 5.5 million.

The DoneDeal survey also found that a major consideration for buyers when it comes to purchasing a second-hand EV is the upfront purchase cost (the biggest concern for 32% of respondents), followed closely by the range of the vehicle (the biggest concern for 25% of respondents).