Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles account for more than 45% of all vehicles registered in Ireland as of 2024, new data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has found.
At the same time, however the number of new EV registrations has dropped by close to a quarter, year-on-year.
According to the data, the market share of different car types sees hybrid hold 20.92% of the market, with electric on 14.41% and plug-in hybrid on 10.02%. Petrol remains the most popular engine type for 2024, with 30.31% of the market, followed by diesel on 22.8%.
New car registrations
Total new car registrations totalled 121,195 in Ireland in 2024, down 1% from 122,400 in 2023. Electric vehicle registrations came in at 17,459, a drop of 23.6% compared to 2023 (22,852).
Elsewhere, registrations of new light commercial vehicles (LCV) was up 7%, heavy goods vehicles (HGV) were up 8%, and used car imports totalled 61,583, up 21.4% from 50,716 in 2023.
“The new car market in 2024 was in line with the previous year, with new car registrations finishing at 121,195 units, slightly behind 2023 (122,400 units),” commented Brian Cooke, SIMI director.
EV sales decline
The largest EV market, Dublin, saw a 17.83% decline last year, with 9,038 EVs registered (down from 10,999 in 2023), while EV registrations in Cork fell by 29.95%, Galway by 39.04%, and Limerick by 24.28%.
“The key feature of the 2024 new car market was the decline in electric vehicle sales, a reduction of 24% compared to 2023,” Cooke added. “There has, however, been some tentative signs of a turnaround in EV sales towards the end of 2024, and the industry is anticipating an increase in EV sales in 2025.”
“With the variety of incentives and offers from retailers and manufacturers, it is a good time for customers to shop for a new or used car.” Read more here.
