Assembly Written Question 17776/17-22

To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for her assessment of the level of electric vehicle adoption in Northern Ireland, in comparison to other parts of Europe.

Answer: There is no readily available comparable data for Northern Ireland and other parts of Europe in terms of the level of electric vehicle adoption. The latest statistics from DVLA/DfT show that the number of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) registered for the first time in Northern Ireland has increased each year to 2020.

The most recent Department for Transport (DfT) data indicates that there are 4,186 electric vehicles currently registered at 30 September 2021 in Northern Ireland. In the first nine months of 2020, 1052 Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) were registered in NI, an 82% increase for the whole of the previous year. This demonstrates a significant increase in uptake and is an encouraging sign as we make the transition to 2030 when the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be introduced.

I remain committed to working in partnership with Executive colleagues and others across our islands to help deliver a change in the way we travel that also helps us to tackle the climate crisis.