New figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show that while new car registrations overall slowed in May, the number of new electric car registrations increased.
The SIMI figures show that new car registrations for May were down 8.8% to 5,832 from 6,398 the same month last year.
However, registrations so far this year are up 2.4% to 79,301 from 77,461 the same time last year.
SIMI said a total of 1,092 new electric cars were registered in May, a rise of 5.3% on the 1,037 EV registrations in May 2024.
So far this year, 12,392 new electric cars have been registered, marking a 23.3% increase compared to the same time last year when 10,052 electric cars were registered.
Meanwhile, imported used cars rose by 7.9% to 5,949 in May of this year compared to a figure of 5,513 in May of last year, SIMI said.
Year to date imports are up 7.5% to 28,184 on 2024’s 26,206, it added.
Today’s figures show that petrol cars remain the new car market leader at 27.6%, followed by hybrid (petrol electric) at 23.09%, diesel at 17.42%, electric at 15.63% and plug-in electric hybrid at 14.64%.
They also reveal that the top selling new car in May was the Volkswagen Tiguan while the top selling new electric car was the Hyundai Inster.
The five top selling new car brands so far this year are Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda and Kia, while the top five selling new car models are the Hyundai Tucson, the Toyota RAV 4, the Toyota Yaris Cross, the Kia Sportage and the Skoda Octavia.
Meanwhile the five top selling new electric vehicles brands are Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai, Tesla and BYD.
The five top selling new EV Models are the Volkswagen ID.4, the Kia EV3, the Tesla Model 3, the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Kona.
The most popular colour for a new car was grey, followed by black and blue.
Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General, said that the fifth month in a row, new electric vehicle sales have increased, with EV registrations 5% ahead of May last year, with over 12,300 new electric cars sold so far this year, representing a 23% increase on last year.
He noted that private consumers continue to account for the majority of EV sales.
“While we are now on schedule to reach the interim Climate Action Plan target of 175,000 electric cars (EV & PHEV) by the end of this year, as highlighted by the EPA recently, we need to do more to accelerate the growth in EV sales between now and the end of the decade,” Mr Cooke said.
He said Government initiatives and supports will be vital to achieve this.
He also noted that the Commercial vehicle sector experienced a decline in May, with the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market down nearly 2% in May and 9% year to date. Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations are down 22% in May and 10% year to date.
“Overall commercial vehicle sales are a concern, reflecting the uncertain business environment at present, with many companies deferring investment decisions,” he added.
Article Source – New car registrations down 8.8% in May, but EVs up 5.3% – SIMI – RTE