Electric cars and hybrids now make up almost a third of all models purchased so far this year, new figures show.
The latest data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry shows that diesel now accounts for 34.09 percent of new vehicle registrations, while gasoline is 32.5 percent. At the same time, hybrid sales account for 16.32 percent of all registrations with fully electric cars to 7.33 percent and plug-in hybrids to 7.11 percent, which together results in a market share of 30.76 percent.
And last month’s new car sales reflect the accelerated shift to electric vehicles with a total of 831 newly registered all-electric vehicles (EVs) (14 percent of all vehicle types purchased), compared to 294 in August 2020. 7,057 new all-electric cars have been purchased so far this year – that was 2,954 in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Overall, the latest figures show that new car registrations rose by 25 percent last month: 6,013 compared to 4,808 in August 2020 and 5,088 in 2019 (+18.2 percent).
This year, 96,309 new vehicles have been registered so far, as the market was sustained by the increase in demand in July and August for the new registration despite Covid-19 restrictions.
The latest number is compared to 78,864 for the corresponding period in 2020 and 110,527 in 2019 (-12.9 percent).
The used imports reached the mark of 5,088 last month – compared to 8,141 in August 2020, a decrease compared to the 9,706 imports in August 2019. The used imports have increased by 16.4 percent (46,185) compared to 2020 (39,668) since the beginning of the year, but by 36.0 percent compared to 2019 (72,214).
Brian Cooke, General Manager of SIMI, said of the new data, “The consumer appetite for new cars, fueled by consumer pent-up demand and heavy savings, continued into July through August. New car sales have increased by 25 percent compared to the same month last year and by 22 percent since the beginning of the year. “
However, he said the numbers should be seen in the context of the pre-Covid market, with registrations still lagging 18 percent behind 2019.
He added, “On the positive side, businesses and consumers who have bought new cars are choosing lower-emission vehicles for all types of fuel. In particular, sales of new electric cars have increased significantly since the beginning of this year. “
Mr Cooke said it was vital that the momentum behind the drive for lower emissions be maintained and built on.
And he warned that all budgetary measures for new cars must support a strong new car market that focuses on lower-emission vehicles and moves older, lower-emission cars off the road.
“We need built-in incentives to build consumer confidence and encourage behavioral change in both new and used car markets. In the 2022 budget, this means a budget that encourages consumers and businesses to switch to a lower-emission vehicle, ”he said.
He said the electric vehicle grants, 0 percent in-kind benefits (BIK) for company cars and other incentives are important support to help increase electric vehicle sales that need to be expanded.
Meanwhile, SIMI stats also show that the top five selling brands last month were: 1. Toyota 2. Volkswagen 3. Hyundai 4. Skoda 5. Ford.
The five best-selling models were: 1. Hyundai Tucson, 2. Toyota Corolla, 3. Toyota Yaris, 4. Toyota Rav 4, 5. Volkswagen Tiguan.
The best-selling all-electric cars so far this year have been: 1. The Volkswagen ID.4; 2. Volkswagen ID.3; 3. KIA Niro; 4. Nissan sheet; 5. Tesla model 3.
The best-selling electric vehicle in August was the Volkswagen ID.3.
