A list of 124 car dealerships from 24 counties participated in the second ZEVI Electric Vehicle Dealership of the Year Awards.
It has emerged that Divanes Volkswagen are the Kerry winners and the Castleisland firm has made the shortlist for the regional finals to be announced at the SIMI Irish Motor Industry Awards on February 16th 2023.
One overall national winner will be announced at SEAI Energy Show on March 30th. 2023.
Excellence Recognised and Rewarded
Zero Vehicles Emissions Ireland (ZEVI), a dedicated office within the Department of Transport, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) announced the winners of ZEVI’s EV Dealership of the Year Awards which is now in its second year.
These awards recognise and reward excellence in the promotion and sales of electric vehicles in Ireland.
In total, 124 car dealerships from 24 counties participated in the 2023 ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year Awards, representing a 6% increase in entries from 2022. Car dealerships are a vital part of the transition to clean and efficient transport.
Increase Consumers Understanding
Funded by ZEVI, these SEAI administered awards recognise the dealerships who are working to increase consumers understanding and experience of EVs and their uptake on Irish roads.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said that 2022 saw record sales of EVs in Ireland and that the awards commend the hard work of the car dealers supporting their clients in making the switch to electric.
“The awards also celebrate the growing shift towards sustainable clean transport. It’s an exciting time to be working in this growing area. As the sales of EVs continue to grow, it is the award winners of today who are setting the standards and demonstrating the expertise needed in this industry in future,” said Minister Ryan.
Extremely Competitive Awards
Commenting on the announcement, Declan Meally, Director of Business, Public Sector and Transport at SEAI said that the 2023 dealer awards were extremely competitive.
“We want to congratulate the 24 county award winners. It is inspiring to see the continued commitment and dedication of the dealerships to reducing emissions in the transport sector and helping Ireland develop a cleaner, more efficient transport future. It is great to see a significant increase not only in EV sales, but in participation in the 2023 awards. SEAI recognises that car dealerships and their staff are a key enabler of EV uptake and are delighted to reward excellence in the showroom,” said Mr. Meally.
Delight at Divanes
Commenting on their win, John Vahey, Brand Manager at Divanes Castleisland said that all at Divanes are delighted with the award.
“We’re delighted to receive this award and recognition from ZEVI and the SEAI. We aspire to deliver a high level of knowledge and sales experience for consumers when purchasing an electric vehicle.
“We have invested heavily in the EV movement in recent times through both staff training and the installation of Ireland’s first Solitec solar PV system for the charging of the electric cars onsite with Zero emissions through sunlight alone,” said Mr. Vahey.
County Winners Shortlisted
The county winners announced are now on the shortlist for the ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year regional awards which will be announced at this year’s Society of the Irish Motor Industry Irish Motor Industry Awards and annual dinner taking place on Thursday, February 16th. 2023.
The four regional winners will then be on the shortlist for the overall national winner award which will be announced at the SEAI Energy Show taking place in the RDS, Dublin on March 30th 2023.
To see the full details on all winning dealerships, visit: www.seai.ie
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