Cork’s electric vehicle revolution is gaining serious momentum, with battery electric vehicle sales jumping 30% in the first half of 2025, prompting renewed calls for the Government to accelerate charging infrastructure investment across the county.
New figures show 1,320 battery electric vehicles were registered in Cork during the first six months of this year, compared to 1,015 in the same period of 2024. The surge reflects a nationwide trend, with electric vehicle registrations up 27% across Ireland, representing a combined 58% market share when including battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicles.
The statistics, released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), highlight a remarkable recovery for the electric vehicle sector following a challenging 2024.
Darren Kinsella, spokesperson for the Electric Vehicle Charging Alliance of Ireland and New Energy Landscapes Business Development Manager at Schneider Electric, said:
“After a difficult year for EV sales in 2024, they have come roaring back in 2025, up 27% in the first half of this year. This trend is consistent in most of the country, and Cork is no exception, with Battery EV sales up 30% in the first half of the year. Although the market share of EVs in the county may be low, there is clear momentum there.”
The impressive growth figures come against the backdrop of the Government’s ambitious target of almost one million electric vehicles on Irish roads by 2030, a goal that remains significantly off track despite this year’s encouraging trends.
Kinsella emphasised the critical need for charging infrastructure to keep pace with growing demand:
“If we are to make a serious dent in this target, we know the public charging infrastructure needs to rapidly expand to not just keep up with demand, but to get ahead of it. We’re calling on the Government to prioritise the investment in and rollout of the EV charging network.”
The alliance is pushing for streamlined planning processes to remove bottlenecks affecting the charging network, similar to initiatives targeting housing and critical infrastructure delivery. Kinsella highlighted opportunities to simplify grid connection processes, which could significantly accelerate network deployment.
Funding represents another crucial element, with the new Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund providing €3 billion for climate and environmental projects. The EVCAI advocates for utilising this fund in 2026 to boost capital funding for the new EV Infrastructure Strategy, building on the previous €40 million allocation towards Shared Mobility Hubs.
Kinsella concluded:
“EVs sales are taking off. If we build the charging network to reflect the ambition, we can take the electrification of transport to the next level.”
The Electric Vehicle Charging Alliance of Ireland, founded last year to represent the country’s leading charging infrastructure providers, was recently awarded Best eMobility Project of the Year at the Electric Vehicle Summit & Awards 2025.