The number of plug-in hybrid cars licensed for the first time in January doubled when compared with the same month last year, new data from the Central Statistics Office shows.
There were 3,427 new plug-in hybrid private cars licensed during the month, up from 1,712 in January last year.
There were a total of 22,484 new cars registered overall, which represented an increase of 8 per cent. The number of used cars licensed rose by 5 per cent over the same period.
Some 15 per cent of all new cars licensed for the first time were electric compared with 14 per cent in the same period in 2024.
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Despite the strong showing by plug-in hybrids, the number of hybrid cars licensed rose by just 4 per cent when compared with the same period in 2024. This means the share of hybrids among new private cars fell slightly in comparison to last year, 27 per cent in 2025 from 28 per cent in 2024.
Sales of electric car sales started to fall in July 2023 from their post-pandemic rise as the Government pulled back on incentives for buying a new electric vehicle.
Consumer concerns, meanwhile, centre on three issues: recharging infrastructure, high costs and uncertainty about the technology/battery life.
An Irish Fiscal Advisory Council report last year warned that the switch to electric motoring will cost the exchequer at least €2.5 billion in lost tax revenue a year by 2030. The transition likely to herald big changes to the motoring tax regime.
The combined share of petrol and diesel cars among new private cars licensed in January dropped from 50 per cent in 2024 to 42 per cent.
Toyota was the most popular make of new private car licensed in January, followed by Hyundai, Volkswagen, Skoda, and Kia. Together, these five makes represented 54 per cent of all new private cars licensed in the month.
