Electric vehicles are only for the rich claims Mayo councillor

ELECTRIC vehicles are only affordable for rich people according to a Mayo councillor who says he does not see any long term future in them.

Claremorris-based Independent councillor Richard Finn made the claim at the Roads and Sustainable Travel Strategic Policy Committee meeting where he added that electric vehicles are not a viable proposition for most people.

The meeting heard that an engineer has been appointed to work on the roll out of additional electric charging points in parts of Mayo and in particular in areas without electric charging infrastructure.

Cllr Finn commented that he is not anti-electric vehicle but claimed that the low trade-in value of the vehicles meant they were not viable for most people.

“Electric Vehicles are for the rich and the poor cannot afford to buy electric vehicles. It is one section of society that electric vehicles are being used by and the ordinary person on the street is not in a position to purchase an electric vehicle when it decreases in value.

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“We can talk about all the infrastructure which has been provided and great effort has been put in to get electric vehicles on the road but when it has to be traded in that is where the problem arises.

“I don't see a long-term future for them. If governments and the EU want us to adhere and buy electric vehicles they will have to come up with some better operation to encourage people to change from what they are used to. What they are used to at least it has a value when you go to change but the figures at the moment don't suggest it is a viable proposition for most people,” he told the meeting.

His comments were supported by fellow Independent councillor Patsy O'Brien who claimed that electric vehicles are a fire hazard in an accident and by the SPC Cathaoirleach, Cllr Annie May Reape who questioned how people would cope if they ran out of charge in a rural area.

Killala-based councillor Jarlath Munnelly said that there are no electric charging points in Killala or Ballycastle and it was not fair for people who live or regularly visit the area.

Personal Opinion

However, Conrad Harley, the acting Head of Roads with Mayo County Council, commented that as the owner of an electric vehicle, opinion on electric vehicles was not always based on fact.

“As the only person in the room who drives an electric vehicle a lot of the opinions are people's own personal opinion but opinion is one thing and facts are slightly different,” he said while adding that the majority of electric cars have a range of 400km.

Mr Harley said it was hugely positive that a person has been appointed to drive the electric vehicle regional strategy and there was a huge need to increase the number of electric charges particularly along the Wild Atlantic Way.

“It is great to see we have somebody coming in who will start working with the private companies. These charging points will be owned and operated by private companies in the same way petrol stations are owned and operated by private companies,” he noted.

Mr Harley added that he believes one way Mayo can become a national leader is in developing a planning strategy to accommodate home electric vehicle charging points in urban areas.

“If you read the papers and social media one of the ongoing things which is raised is; 'I have an apartment or live in a terraced house and don't have a driveway and how do I get the car charging cable across'. There are very good solutions available and we as an SPC should try to agree on the policy in how we do that and get that included in planning policy.

“We could be a leader in the country on this because very few local authorities have agreed on a policy. If you own an electric car 99.9 percent of your charge is done at home and it is only when you take a trip somewhere you need an additional charge. The use of the public charges are limited on normal day-to-day use for people with electric cars,” he said.

Director of Services, Tom Gilligan acknowledged the low sales of new electric cars shows that consumers are not yet ready for them but it was important that the county has the best network available for the public.