New vehicle registrations in Ireland continued their positive trajectory in July, with electric cars leading the charge at a remarkable 57% increase compared to last year, according to official figures released today by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).
The July figures show 26,787 new cars registered, representing a 4.3% increase over July 2024. Year-to-date registrations have reached 108,531, up 3.7% on the same period last year. Most notably, electric vehicle registrations soared to 4,913 units in July alone, compared to 3,129 in July 2024.
The surge in electric vehicle adoption means Ireland has now surpassed the Government’s Climate Action Plan target of 175,000 combined battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles for 2025. With 18,542 new electric cars registered so far this year, representing a 33.7% increase, the market has returned to 2023 levels.
Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General, stated:
“This important landmark on the road to electrification could not have been achieved without the significant levels of Government incentives. If we want to continue this momentum, these supports must be maintained and extended well beyond the end of this year.”
In the broader market, petrol cars continue to lead new car sales with a 26.90% market share, followed by hybrids at 22.72%, diesel at 17.13%, electric at 17.08%, and plug-in hybrids at 14.71%.
The commercial vehicle sector showed mixed results. Light Commercial Vehicles bounced back impressively with a 22.8% increase in July, reaching 6,133 units and nearly closing the year-to-date gap. However, Heavy Goods Vehicle registrations declined by 18.8% in July and are down 11.3% for the year.
Cork maintained its position as the second-largest market outside Dublin, with 12,534 new car registrations year-to-date, up 5.92% on 2024. The county also saw strong electric vehicle adoption with 1,837 new electric cars registered, a 41.42% increase.
The top-selling new car brands for 2025 are Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda, and Kia, with the Hyundai Tucson claiming the best-selling model spot. In the electric vehicle segment, the Volkswagen ID.4 leads sales, followed by the Kia EV3 and Tesla Model 3.
Used car imports also showed strong growth, up 16.8% in July and 9.4% year-to-date, indicating continued demand across all vehicle segments.
Cooke added that “the mixed results and market fluctuations in the commercial sector reflect the current economic and political uncertainty,” while emphasising the importance of maintaining government support for the electric vehicle transition.