The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded its first regional prizes to electric vehicle dealerships that have provided outstanding service to customers looking to buy an electric vehicle.
Promoters of electric vehicles awarded
The prizes were presented by Zero Emissions Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), an office within the DfT and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), as part of the Irish Motor Industry Awards 2023 held by SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) on 16 February. Winners were announced for each of the four provinces, recognising businesses that have made outstanding efforts in promoting and encouraging electric vehicle uptake in Ireland.
The winning dealerships were Renault and Dacia specialist Joe Mallon Motors in Leinster, Keary's BMW & MINI in Munster, Peugeot, Renault and Dacia dealer JJ Burke Car Sales in Connaught and Mazda, Land Rover, Peugeot and Volvo specialist McGinley Motors in Ulster.
A total of 124 dealerships from 24 counties entered the competition, which was a six per cent increase in participants when compared with last year's contest. Criteria that the winning dealers had to meet included showroom visibility of EVs, salesperson knowledge of EVs, sales approach, EV training, sales trends and website presentation.
Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, said: "Car dealerships play a crucial role in the transition to clean and efficient transport, and these awards recognise their efforts in promoting and selling EVs to Irish consumers. The number of entries for these awards has increased, and it is good to see the high level of engagement and commitment from car dealerships in Ireland. EVs are, and will be, an important part of our transport mix as we move towards reducing our emissions, cleaning our air, and making our towns and cities better and safer places to live and move around."
Brian Cooke, the director general of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, added: "The ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year regional awards are a welcome addition to the Irish Motor Industry Awards. They highlight the important contributions made by retailers from all over the country on the road to decarbonising transport and showcase their efforts in supporting customers on their journey towards electric."
The four regional winners will now go forward to be considered for the national award, which will be announced at the SEAI's Energy Show at the Royal Dublin Society on 30 March.