Taxi operators could stand to benefit from up to €25,000 of incentives from the Irish Government if they switch to an electric vehicle with wheelchair access while also scrapping an older diesel-engined vehicle.
That's a lot of fares…
It certainly is, although taxi operators will have to jump through all of the Government's hoops if they want to achieve that full incentive amount. Individually, the just-announced new grants for the 'eSPSV scheme' (that's Electric Small Public Sector Vehicles), which is supporting taxi, hackney, and limousine operators to make the EV switch, are worth somewhat less.
How much is each incentive level worth?
The new eSPSV grants start at €7,500, which is granted towards the purchase of any new electric vehicle to act as a taxi, hackney, or other private hire vehicle. Roll that in with the scrapping of an older diesel-engined vehicle during the trade-in, and the grant jumps to a substantial €17,500. Finally, if the new electric vehicle being purchased is wheelchair accessible, there's €25,000 on offer.
How much of a budget is the Government putting into this scheme?
So far, the Government has committed € 7 million to this latest tranche of the taxi EV incentive scheme, but that may not last long - previous tranches have been over-subscribed almost from day one, so any taxi operators looking to avail of the new grants would be wise to get their applications in quickly.
Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien said: "The eSPSV Scheme continues to deliver real support for those who keep our public transport network moving every day. With €7 million committed for 2026, we are continuing one of the most impactful EV transition programmes in the country. This investment ensures that taxi, hackney and limousine operators can upgrade to cleaner, more efficient vehicles, benefiting drivers, passengers and the environment alike.”
Per the Department of Transport's official figures, so far the Irish Government has spent €65 million to date to help over 3,600 eSPSV operators move from fossil fuel vehicles to electric: "helping reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality across Irish cities and towns.”