In the first nine months of this year, there was a 25% drop in the number of electric cars that were licensed for the first time, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office, reports RTE.
In comparison to 20,517 at the same time last year, the CSO reported that 15,460 new electric automobiles were licensed over the nine-month period.
However, it did observe an increase in the number of licenses for gasoline and electric hybrid cars, which went from 17,228 in the first nine months of 2023 to 22,604 in the same period this year, a 31% increase.
According to the CSO, the number of new gasoline-powered automobiles licensed in the first nine months of this year was 34,779, down 4% from 36,407 in the same period in 2023. In contrast, the number of new diesel cars licensed increased by 5%, from 24,058 to 25,221, reports RTE.
According to CSO data released today, the total number of newly licensed private vehicles increased marginally from 109,482 to 109,621 during the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
In the meantime, over the same time period, the number of licensed used (imported) automobiles rose by 27%, from 37,591 to 47,554, reports RTE.
In comparison to September of previous year, the number of newly licensed private automobiles decreased by 11% in September, from 6,882 to 6,110.
According to the CSO, Skoda, Volkswagen, Kia, and Hyundai were the next most popular makes of new private cars certified in September 2024, after Toyota. When combined, these five automobile brands accounted for 53% of all newly licensed private vehicles in September, reports RTE.
In September, Tesla Model 3 was the most popular brand of newly licensed electric car, followed by Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4.
In response to today’s CSO figures, Phil Barnes, Geotab Business Development Manager Ireland & UK, stated that the nation has reached a point where, in terms of maths, it is not feasible to meet its 2030 target of having 945,000 EVs on the road, since doing so would require an overnight switch by the entire market.
“While there were some positives in Budget 2025 with changes in VRT categorisation for electric light commercial vehicles, as well as BIK benefits in terms of company cars and the installation of home chargers, there was no real incentive to sway the general public,” Mr Barnes said, reports RTE.
“Given that the passenger car market is the primary driver for EV sales, it seems like a missed opportunity,” he added, reports RTE.
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