Every new car sold in Ireland will need to be electric by the end of the decade for the country to meet its 2030 target, a Dáil committee has been told.

The Government's 2021 Climate Action Plan has set a target of almost three million electric vehicles (EVs) on Irish roads by 2030, including private cars, heavy goods vehicles, small public service vehicles and larger public transport vehicles.

Declan Meally, the transport director of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, told the Committee on Transport and Communications yesterday that transport was the single largest source of energy-related emissions in Ireland - representing about 20% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions.

He said some 20% of cars sold in Ireland in 2022 so far are electric, which is up from 13% over the same period last year.

However, he said that number would need to increase to 100% by the end of the decade for the country to meet its target of 845,000 passenger vehicles.

In Association with

He added that this would require "determined investment" in public charging infrastructure.

Suzanne Ward, from Electric Ireland, told the committee 52 high-power charging hubs were being developed across Ireland.

These hubs will be able to charge multiple electric vehicles at the same time.