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Increase of 45% in number of new electric cars registered last year

There was a total of 121,850 new car registrations last year, which was up 16% on 2022 and up 4% on 2019

Some 22,789 new electric cars were registered in 2023, which was an increase of 45.4 per cent on the year before. Photograph: PA

Colin Gleeson
Tue Jan 2 2024 - 15:45

The shift towards electric on Irish roads continued apace last year as 22,789 new electric cars were registered, which was an increase of 45.4 per cent on the year before and 561.7 per cent on pre-pandemic 2019, data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) shows.

In terms of market share for 2023, petrol accounted for just under a third; diesel for less than a quarter; electric for 18.7 per cent; hybrid for 18.54 per cent; and plug-in hybrid for 8.28 per cent.

Petrol continues to remain the most popular engine type for 2023, while electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid account for 45.5 per cent of the market.

There was a total of 121,850 new car registrations last year, which was up 16 per cent on the year before and up 4 per cent on 2019.

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New light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations saw an increase of 25.1 per cent compared to 2022 and a 16.1 per cent increase on 2019.

New heavy commercial vehicle registrations (HGV) saw an increase of 20.4 per cent in comparison to 2022 and 19.9 per cent on 2019.

Imported used cars saw 50,716 registrations in 2023, which was an increase of 9.09 per cent on 2022 and a decrease of 55.48 per cent on 2019.

Automatic transmissions now account for about two thirds of market share, while manual transmissions have declined to just over a third.

The hatchback continues to remain Ireland’s top selling car body type. Meanwhile, grey retained the top selling colour title for the eight year running.

SIMI director general Brian Cooke said 2023 was “a year of progress” for the Irish motor industry, both in terms of new vehicle registrations and electric vehicle sales.

“The growth in electric vehicle sales continued into 2023, with an increase in market share from 15 per cent in 2022 to nearly 19 per cent in 2023,” he said.

“This represented a 45 per cent increase in EV sales for the year. We do expect to see some growth in EV sales again in 2024, but key to this will be the ongoing Government support, both in terms of vehicle and taxation incentives and investment in a fit for purpose charging infrastructure.

“The mix in the new car market however, from electric to hybrid to more traditional engine types, highlights the diverse nature of Irish motorists’ driving requirements, and reducing the age of the national fleet, as well as moving to zero emission vehicles, will be vital if we want to get close to Ireland’s climate goals.

“The commercial vehicle sector both light and heavy vehicles also delivered a solid performance in 2023. Light commercial vehicles finished 25 per cent ahead of last year and heavy goods vehicles saw a 20 per cent increase on 2022.”

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson is an Irish Times reporter

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