Sales of new electric cars are down 19.1 per cent so far this year, with EV registrations for April falling by over 41 per cent on last year.
To date this year, 9,028 new EVs have been registered, accounting for 12.7 per cent of the total new car market. This time last year, EVs made up over 16 per cent of sales, according to figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (Simi).
In contrast, sales of petrol, diesel and hybrids have all grown this year. Petrol now accounts for 33 per cent of sales, diesel accounts for 23.6 per cent, while regular hybrids make up 21 per cent. Plug-in hybrids account for a further 9 per cent.
Volkswagen, with the largest share of the EV market, has recorded a 44 per cent fall in its electric car sales so far this year, while Hyundai has seen its EV sales slip 40 per cent from last year as well. Tesla is also recording a drop in sales from last year, down 6 per cent on last year, with 848 new registrations to date this year.
The drop in EV sales contrasts with a 6 per cent rise in overall new car registrations so far this year, with 71,110 new cars registered up to the end of April. However, April saw a drop of 3.6 per cent on the same month last year, with 8,591 registrations.
Toyota remains the best-selling new car brand, with 10,685 registrations, ahead of Skoda with 7,578, Volkswagen with 7,525, Hyundai with 6,655 and Kia with 5,221.
The best-selling model on the Irish market is Hyundai’s Tucson with 3,264 registrations, ahead of Skoda’s Octavia with 2,881 and the Kia Sportage with 2,350.
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