Sarah Mooney
New electric and plug-in hybrid cars accounted for a fifth of all new cars licensed - motor taxed - in the first month of this year.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show 21 per cent of all new cars taxed for the first time in January 2022 were electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), while 20 per cent were diesel.
This marks a decrease from 34 per cent of new private cars licensed being diesel in the same month in 2021.
CSO statistician Nele van der Wielen said the new figures show “the continued growth in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland.”
“The number of new electric cars licensed more than doubled from 739 in January 2021 to 1,813 in January 2022," he said.
“New plug-in hybrid electric cars licensed grew by 82 per cent in January 2022 compared with January 2021 (1,507 compared with 827).
“At the same time the number of new diesel cars is decreasing. At the beginning of this year 3,116 new cars licensed were diesel cars, compared with 5,801 in January 2021.”
Overall, the number of new cars licensed in January 2022 was down seven per cent (1,134) compared with January 2021, from 16,948 to 15,814.
The number of used cars licensed in January 2022 also fell by 55 per cent (4,440) compared with January 2021.
The CSO’s vehicle licensing figures are based on the National Vehicle and Driver File compiled by the Department of Transport.
