New electric vehicle sales drop over 40% in April
The number of new electric vehicles sold in April dropped over 41% when compared to the same month last year, new figures show.
The data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) shows that 1,091 new electric cars were registered last month.
So far this year, 9,028 new EVs have been registered, down over 19% on the same period last year.
“The Electric Vehicle segment experienced another month of decline in registrations, a trend which is being replicated across most EU markets,” said Brian Cooke, Director General of SIMI.
“With the supply of new EVs no longer an issue, and with an increasing number of brands and models present in the EV segment, the drop in EV sales is demand driven,” he added.
Mr Cooke said consumers need greater incentives in order to make the switch.
“This means rapid investment by the Government in a reliable, convenient, and affordable electric charging infrastructure, while at the same time extending current incentives such as the purchase grant,” he said.
“For businesses and their employees, extension of the Benefit-In Kind (BIK) relief and thresholds at current levels beyond 2024, will create greater confidence that an EV is the right choice for their companies,” he added.
Overall, 8,591 new cars were registered in April, down 3.6% on the same month last year.
So far this year, 71,110 new cars have been registered, up 6% on the same period in 2023.
Petrol cars lead the new car market at 32.92%, followed by Diesel at 23.56%.
Hybrid (Petrol Electric) made up 20.44% of the market share, followed by Electric at 12.70%, and Plug-in Electric Hybrid at 8.76%.
Toyota is the top selling new car brand so far this year, followed by Skoda, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia.
The Hyundai Tucson is the most popular new car model so far, followed by the Skoda Octavia, the Kia Sportage, the Toyota RAV 4 and the Toyota Yaris Cross.
The Volkswagen ID.4 is the top selling new EV model, followed by the Hyundai Kona, the Tesla Model 3, the Skoda Enyaq and the MG MG4.
