Sales of new electric cars down 22% so far this year

Sales of new electric vehicles (EVs) are down 21.85 per cent on last year, with its share of the overall new car market in Ireland dropping below 13 per cent. EV sales have fallen in seven of the last nine months.

By contrast, new car sales are up 3.8 per cent so far this year despite a drop in May registrations.

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars are up on last year, with petrol models making up 33.3 per cent of the new car market, followed by diesel with 23 per cent.

Despite the drop in fully electric sales, hybrids are proving popular, with regular hybrids making up 22 per cent of sales while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) making up 9 per cent.

New car sales totalled 77,453 to the end of May though but for the month itself, sales were down 15 per cent on last year at 6,407.

Toyota remains the bestselling new car brand, with 11,479 registrations, up 8.3 per cent on last year. Volkswagen is second with 8,332, followed by Skoda with 8,012, Hyundai with 7,061 and Kia with 5,559.

Hyundai’s Tucson is the bestselling new car with 3,366 registrations, ahead of Skoda’s Octavia on 3,100 and Kia’s Sportage on 2,524.

According to Brian Cooke, director general of the Society of the Irish Motor industry (Simi): “With the private consumer being the driver of EV sales in Ireland, we need to refocus our efforts on these buyers; they need greater reassurances on their EV investment, which includes as a minimum the extension of current incentives and delivery on an electric charging infrastructure.

“We also need to encourage the company car market, where Ireland has been lagging behind other markets, and delay the phasing out of the benefit-in-kind concession until such time as EVs become firmly established.”

The Simi figures come as data showed registrations of Chinese-made EVs in Europe jumping 23 per cent between January and April compared with the year-ago period despite the looming threat of higher tariffs on battery-run car imports from the country.

A total 119,300 Chinese-made EVs were registered in western Europe, including the UK, in the first four months of 2024, accounting for one in five electric vehicles imported into the region, according to Schmidt Automotive Research, which analyses battery-run car sales in Europe. – Additional reporting: the Financial Times Limited 2024