Dozens of EV car dealers have been recognised for encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles in Ireland in the 2024 ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year Award.

Now in their third year, the annual awards were held at the SEAI Energy Show at the RDS in Dublin.

Fitzpatrick’s Garage in Kildare was named the overall national winner from among the four regional champions at the awards.

This is the second time Fitzpatrick’s Garage has taken home the prize, having also come out on top at the inaugural awards in 2022.

A longlist of 134 county winners was selected from among car dealerships which helped inform customers about making the switch to electric cars.

Back in February a shortlist of four regional winners was announced at the Society of the Irish Motor Industry Awards for their best-in-class customer service.

“Making the switch from a petrol or diesel engine car to an electric vehicle is a big commitment,” said Managing Director of EnergyEfficiency.ie James Dorrian.

“Having a well informed staff who can guide customers through the ins and outs of what they can expect from an electric car and how much they could save in the long run is of huge benefit to anyone thinking of investing in an EV.”

“Decarbonising Ireland’s transport sector is a crucial pillar of meeting our climate goals, so it is essential that people have all the information and support they need in order to help with this seismic change.”

Dealerships in the awards were assessed based on their performance for a mystery shopper, the knowledge of their staff, EV sales figures, and an evaluation of their website.

The mystery shopper judged dealerships for their staff’s knowledge of EVs, their sales approach, along with how visible EVs were in their showrooms and how they were promoted to customers.

Staff training is gauged on the number of staff trained in EVs and the depth of that training, attendance at SEAI dealer webinars, and completion of the EV dealer module on the SEAI Energy Academy.

The regional winners of the awards were:

Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan said, “As Ireland transitions to a more sustainable future, electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a key component of reducing carbon emissions in the transportation sector.”

“Under the Climate Action Plan, the transport sector must reduce its emissions by 50% by 2030 and electric vehicles will play a huge part in reaching this target.”

“These awards recognise and celebrate car dealerships and their efforts in promoting and selling EVs to Irish customers.”

“EV dealers are helping us move away from fossil fuels and reduce emissions, making our air cleaner, and cities and towns safer places to live.”

So far this year 7,971 new electric cars have been registered according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry.

This represents a 14.3% decrease in the number of new EVs registered in Ireland in the same period last year by SIMI figures.

A lack of infrastructure in public EV charging has been a big stumbling block for the adoption of electric cars.

Even with the majority of EV charging done at home, not having the ready availability of high-speed public EV charging stations can make it more difficult to make long journeys compared with fossil fuel cars.

A €21 million grant scheme aims to install large pools of EV charging stations at intervals of no more than 60km along the entirety of Ireland’s motorway network by the end of 2025.

CEO of SEAI, William Walsh commented, “The transport sector represents about 18% of Ireland’s carbon emissions nationally, with road transport and private car usage carrying the most significant carbon footprint.”

“By 2030 it’s expected that 30% of our private car fleet will be electric, reducing those emissions significantly. EV dealerships are vital in this transition, and these awards recognise and celebrate dealers contributing to the decarbonisation of the transport sector, helping drivers make the switch to electric.”

“By joining SEAI’s EV grant scheme, dealers are making it easier and more affordable for their customers to make the switch, helping them to save money and protect the environment.”

The SEAI EV grant scheme offers grants of up to €3,500 for electric cars costing between €14,000 and €60,000, with the grant value depending on the list price of the vehicle.

The most popular electric cars in Ireland so far this year are the Hyundai Kona, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.4, Volkswagen ID.3, and the MG MG4.

Waterford was the only county in Ireland to show an increase in new electric car registrations from January to March 2024 compared with last year.