The government has announced some new and returning grants and initiatives to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and home EV chargers.

The initiatives are a new grant scheme for electric motorcycles; a renewal of the taxi, hackney and limousine scheme; and a pilot to explore shared options for home charging.

The first grant scheme offers grants of either €500 or €1,000 for the purchase of new electric motorcycles based on their top speed.

The eSPSV Grant Scheme will also continue in 2025 with a budget of €12.5 million for the year. 

The scheme offers up to €20,000 for taxi, hackney and limousine operators switching to electric vehicles, with up to €25,000 available for wheelchair-accessible models.

Announcing the initiatives, Minister O’Brien said, “These grants are another step towards creating a cleaner, more sustainable transport system in Ireland, and complement existing supports for electric cars, commercial vans and charging infrastructure.”

“These initiatives reflect our government’s commitment to a zero-emission future, providing individuals and businesses with the tools needed to help make the transition.”

Another new initiative aims to make home EV chargers more widely available by allowing homeowners to rent their EV chargers to others through a booking platform.

This aims to make low cost home EV charging more available for people who don’t have the off street parking needed to install a charger themselves.

Current initiatives aimed at supporting electric vehicles such as the Home EV Charger Grant are only available for homes with off street parking available.

The pilot will be supported by ZEVI and will be rolled out in urban, suburban and rural areas.

Commenting on the pilot, Minister O’Brien said, “The Shared Charging Pilot Scheme will aim to make EV charging more accessible and affordable while easing demand on public infrastructure.”

“The data gathered will be used to inform future charging rollout plans and help shape policies.”