The number of new private electric cars licensed in Ireland rose by 36% last year, compared to 2024, increasing the share of EVs among new private cars to 19%, new data from Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) has found.
According to the data, a total of 23,398 new electric vehicles were registered in Ireland last year, up from 17,191 the previous year.
The number of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also grew, by 65% compared to 2024, with the share of PHEVs among new private cars rising to 15%, up from 9% the previous year.
At the same time, the number of new petrol cars licensed fell by 14%, from 36,433 in 2024 to 31,221 in 2025, while new diesel car registrations fell by 23%, from 26,728 to 20,562.
Overall, there was a 4% increase in the licensing of new private cars in Ireland, from 116,683 in 2024 to 120,797 in 2025.
Tesla tops in December
In December 2025, Tesla was the most popular make of private car licensed in Ireland, followed by Volkswagen, Toyota, Audi, and Skoda. Among electric vehicles, the Tesla Model 3 was the the most popular in December 2025, followed by the Tesla Model Y.
Looking at 2025 as a whole, however, the Volkswagen ID.4 was the most licensed new electric vehicle in Ireland.
Significant rise
“Today’s figures from the CSO show a 36% increase in the number of new private electric cars licensed for the first time in 2025 (23,398 versus 17,191),” commented Damien Lenihan, statistician in the transport section of the CSO.
“This is despite a fall of 35% in the number of new private EVs licensed in December 2025 when compared with December 2024 (264 versus 405). We saw growth in the licensing of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which were up 28% from 78 in December 2024 to 100 new private cars in December 2025. Annually, we saw a rise of 65% in the number of PHEVs licensed for the first time in 2025 compared with 2024 (18,237 versus 11,060).” Read more here.
