Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 December 2025
201. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport if he will commit to engaging with the car rental sector in relation to forthcoming EU legislative proposals due to be published on 10 December 2025 in relation to the mandated quota of electric cars for corporate fleets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68601/25]
View answer204. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the forthcoming publication of an EU legislative proposal on a battery EV (BEV) purchase mandate for corporate fleets on 10 December 2025; if he is concerned about the knock on impact on our domestic car rental companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68604/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 204 together.
Ireland’s ambitious target under the Climate Action Plan 2023 is to achieve 30% of our private car fleet switched to electric by 2030.
The Greening Corporate Fleets initiative originated in the EU Commission’s December 2020 Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, which promised “a comprehensive policy of actions to boost the uptake of zero-emission vehicles in corporate and urban fleets.”
Earlier in 2025, the EU Commission, initiated a high-profile review of the EU automotive industry, addressing concerns around CO2 emissions targets and other industry concerns around the EV transition. That process brought a renewed emphasis on Greening Corporate Fleets, and the Commission has been directed to produce a legislative proposal before the end of the year.
In October 2024, Ireland joined a small group of like-minded Member States in writing to President von der Leyen at Ministerial level, urging the Commission to take action on corporate fleets. Once the proposal is published, my Department will work to assess how the proposal will affect Irish businesses, in terms of the number and type of companies within scope of the proposal, taking account of the concerns for example of the short term car rental sector. We will also give consideration, in due course, to whether our existing supports for EV take-up need to be adjusted to better complement an EU Regulation in this regard.
