€5,000 EV Scrappage Scheme Fully Subscribed Within 45 Minutes as Demand Soars
Dublin: The government’s new €5,000 Electric Vehicle (EV) Scrappage Pilot Scheme has been an overwhelming success, with all 2,000 available places snapped up within 45 minutes of applications opening.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) confirmed that the €10 million Ice2EV pilot scheme is now fully subscribed after an unprecedented surge in applications from motorists looking to replace older petrol and diesel vehicles with new electric cars.
High Demand Causes Brief Website Disruption
The online application portal experienced a temporary outage of around 10 minutes shortly after opening due to exceptionally high demand and a large volume of dealer logins.
SEAI officials said the technical issue was quickly resolved, and the system returned to normal before the application limit was reached.
Scheme Offers Up to €8,500 Towards a New EV
The Ice2EV pilot programme was introduced to encourage owners of 13-year-old or older petrol and diesel vehicles to switch to cleaner transport.
Eligible applicants receive an additional €5,000 scrappage grant, on top of the existing €3,500 SEAI grant for the purchase of a new fully electric vehicle, providing total support of up to €8,500.
The scheme applies only to new battery-electric vehicles, with used EVs not eligible for the additional funding.
Minister Hints at Permanent Scrappage Programme
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien welcomed the overwhelming response, describing the rapid uptake as clear evidence of growing public interest in electric vehicles.
He indicated that the government is now considering introducing a permanent SEAI scrappage scheme, following the success of the pilot programme.
The minister emphasised that Ice2EV was designed as a time-limited pilot, adding that he was pleased it had enabled 2,000 families to make the transition to electric motoring.
EV Adoption Continues to Accelerate
The minister also revealed that electric vehicle registrations increased by 85% during the first half of the year compared with the same period last year.
Ireland now has approximately 250,000 electric vehicles on its roads, reflecting the country’s growing shift towards cleaner transport.
He noted that demand for EVs continues to rise even among buyers who do not qualify for grant support, describing the transition as beneficial both for reducing emissions and lowering running costs for households.
More Incentives Expected
Following the rapid success of the pilot scheme, expectations are growing that the Government will expand its support for electric vehicle adoption through additional incentive programmes.
Officials have indicated that further announcements on future EV support measures are expected in the coming months as part of wider efforts to reduce reliance on older petrol and diesel vehicles and accelerate Ireland’s transition to low-emission transport.
Irish Samachar English