The Government has officially passed into law regulations that will ensure the phase-out of internal combustion engines for official and government vehicles, with tougher rules set to come into force from 2026 onwards.
50g/km limit up to 2025
Until then, the Government will regard a 'clean' light-duty vehicle (basically a passenger car) as being one with a maximum 50g/km CO2 emissions, and one that hits an 80 per cent score on its Real World Driving Emissions (RDE) standards. From January 2026, that CO2 figure for 'clean' cars will drop to 0g/km, suggesting that the plan is for the government, civil service, and related state and semi-state bodies to go fully electric for vehicle procurement from then.
"Clean and energy-efficient vehicles are a central element in our future low-emissions transport systems. These Regulations bring Ireland in line with the European Clean Vehicle Directive targets for public procurement of road transport vehicles, and a step further on the pathway to net-zero carbon by 2050," said Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan.
Tougher regulations from 2026
"The primary aim of these Regulations is to promote the uptake of low and zero-emission vehicles by setting binding minimum targets for the share of 'clean' low- and zero-emission vehicles in procurements undertaken by public sector bodies and consequently stimulating the alternatively-fuelled vehicle market. It applies to public procurement, including purchase, lease, rent, hire-purchase contracts and relevant services contracts. These targets are legally binding and will become more stringent from 2026."
The plan is for government and official vehicles to have 38 per cent of their car fleets registered as 'clean' by 2025, and to maintain that percentage through to 2030. There are also some tough rules envisaged for heavy-duty vehicles - trucks and vans, basically - with plans for ten per cent of trucks and 45 per cent of buses in official use to be 'clean' by 2025, with 15 per cent and 65 per cent respectively the targets through to 2030.
Criticism of Government
The Government has often been criticised for not taking enough of a lead when it comes to electric and other 'clean' vehicle procurement, so presumably, the Department of Transport will be hoping to silence such criticisms with this plan.