Several thousand visitors thronged the RDS on Saturday for the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show, with Irish motor industry executives expressing their delight at the level of public engagement  at the event. The one-day show had attracted 20,000 registered ticket holders, but many car retailers were still surprised by the attendance figures on the day.

Brands in attendance included BMW, BYD, Kia, Hyundai, Opel, Mercedes, VW and Toyota along with the likes of Porsche and Tesla. MG also hosted the Irish launch of its new Cyberster roadster at the event, while Peugeot unveiled its new all-electric e-208 and e-308 models. In total, over 50 all-electric models on display, plus a host of electric charging companies and finance providers.

EV prices and resale values, charging infrastructure and battery replacement costs were the main issues being raised by visitors to the stands.

Addressing these topics, Nevo’s general manager Derek Reilly hosted talks throughout the day with a wide array of panellists from across the industry and public sector.

Speaking at one of the discussions on Saturday, Opel Ireland’s marketing director Emma Toner said she was impressed with the level of engagement from the public, while Patrick Howlett of BYD said the show’s popularity underlined the public interest in making the transition to electric.

Mark Barrett, general manager of Maxus Ireland and UK said that while EVs are not for everyone right now, the public is clearly interested and willing to make the move to electric once the prices are right for them and the infrastructure is in place.