Strong demand for EV drives up Irish car registrations

Strong demand for electric vehicles boosted car registrations in Ireland last month.

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) official 261 new vehicle registration statistics for April show new car registrations for April were up 17.0% (10,184) compared to April 2025 (8,707).

Registrations year to date are up 2.1% (75,074) on the same period last year (73,491).?In April 2,779 new electric cars (battery electric cars) were registered, which was 109.7% higher than the 1,335 registrations in April 2025.

So far this year, 16,779 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 48.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 11,299 electric cars were registered.?In the new car market share by engine type, Hybrid (Petrol Electric) leads at 26.67% as the most popular engine type, followed by Electric 22.35%,

Petrol 21.25%, Plug-In Hybrid 14.41%, and Diesel 12.96%. ?Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) decreased by 3% (2,450) compared to April last year (2,525). Year to date LCVs are up 14.2% (18,101). Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations are down 20.5% (221) in comparison to April 2025 (278).

Year to date, HGVs are down 9.5% (1,191).?Imported Used Cars have seen a 43.1% (7,510) rise in April 2026, when compared to April 2025 (5,248).

Year to date imports are up 40.1% (31,154) on 2025 (22,235).?

Brian Cooke, SIMI director general, said: “April’s new car market saw a 17% increase when compared to the same month last year, with 10,184 units registered. Year-to-date new car sales are 2% ahead of last year, with a total of 75,074 new cars registered. 

“New battery electric vehicles for April delivered another positive performance across all counties, with 2,799 units registered, compared to 1,335 in April 2025. Year-to-date BEV sales have reached 16,779 units, a 49% increase on the same period last year. The strong performance in BEV sales is driven by private consumers, who account for 77% of sales, with this sector of the market being supported by strong government incentives.

“However, the BEV’s new car market share of 22% is still below the level required to meet national climate targets. The momentum behind the EV project is there, and we must build on this. Now is not the time to reduce supports. The Government must maintain and extend current incentives for consumers and businesses while investing in infrastructure, along with a range of targeted measures to encourage widespread EV adoption before 2030. 

“The commercial sector experienced a decline in registrations during April. Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) decreased by 3% in April, however year to date LCV sales are up 14 %. Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations decreased by 21% in April, and year to date they are down nearly 10%.”