The number of newly registered electric vehicles (EVs) jumped in November compared to a year ago, the first such increase for nine months.
There were 516 EVs registered during November, according to data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI). That was 59 per cent more than the corresponding month last year.
Still, EV registrations are about 24 per cent down this year on 2023.
According to Simi general director Brian Cooke the electric car market saw some improvement in November “following nine months of decline”. However, he acknowledged that this year has been difficult for electric vehicle sales, something which has been replicated across Europe.
“Hopefully, we are starting to turn a corner for electric vehicles following a very challenging year. With this in mind, the new Programme for Government must include increased support for the EV project, strong investment in incentives and in the charging infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Cooke said forecasts indicate that next year will be better for electric vehicle sales. However, government supports such as the reinstatement of the grant for electric vehicles from €3,500 to €5,000, even as a temporary measure, would help the market recover, he said.
Overall, there were 1,123 new car registrations in November this year representing a 22 per cent rise on the same month last year. Car registrations year to date have remained little changed compared to last year, dropping 1 per cent.
Used cars imported from abroad rose by 2.4 per cent in November this year compared to the same time last year. This figure has also risen year to date as 58,410 used cars were imported into Ireland until November 2024 compared to 47,307 last year – a 23.5 per cent rise.
Some 537 light commercial vehicles – such as small vans or vehicles with a gross weight of 3.5 tonnes – were registered in November 2024, a drop of 30 per cent compared to the same time last year when the total amount registered was 767. However, overall in 2024, registration of light commercial vehicles has risen by 6.9 per cent.
Petrol cars remain the most popular engine on the market this year taking 30.38 per cent of the share. Diesel came in second recording 22.86 per cent, it was followed by hybrid model cars at 20.95 per cent. Electric cars and plug-in electric hybrids recorded 14.21 per cent and 10.05 per cent, respectively.
So far, the highest-selling car model of the year has been the Hyundai Tucson, followed by the Skoda Octavia and Kia Sportage.
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