The number of new private electric cars licensed here in the first three months of 2024 has fallen by nearly 10%, while licensing of hybrid electric cars has increased sharply, according to the Central Statistics Office.
Last year there were 7,513 electric vehicles licensed in Ireland in the January to March period. This year that fell 9.8% to 6,780.
Sales of private electric cars from February to March this year were also down 8.9%
Meanwhile the number of hybrid petrol and diesel electric cars and plug in hybrids licensed in the first quarter of 2024 has soared, up by 35% compared to the same period in 2023 at 16,180 vehicles.
Overall the CSO figures show that petrol cars were most popular in the first quarter, followed by diesel cars and hybrid petrol electric vehicles.
Last week separate figures published by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry for cars registered since the beginning of the year showed electric car registrations declined 14% year on year, and by 41% in March compared with March 2023.
The CSO noted that in the first three months of 2024, 14% of all new cars licensed for the first time were electric compared with 16% in the time period in 2023.
It also said that the number of new cars licensed in March of this year decreased by 5% to 14,916 from 15,782 the same time in 2023.
A total of 15,284 new cars licensed were petrol cars in the first quarter compared with 16,292 during the same time in 2023, a decrease of 6%. New diesel cars licensed have increased by 14% in the same time, the CSO noted.
In the first three months of 2024, 14% of all new cars licensed for the first time were electric compared with 16% in the same period in 2023.
Today’s CSO figures also show that the number of used cars licensed in the first three months of 2024 increased by 25% compared with the same period in 2023 – 14,874 compared to 11,877.
They also reveal that Skoda was the most popular make of new private car licensed in March, followed by Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia. Together, these five makes represent 52% of all new private cars licensed last month.
Meanwhile, the most popular brand of new electric car licensed in March was the Tesla Model Y, followed by the Tesla Model 3 and the MG4.
