Sales of electric cars on the rise in Mayo

The number of new electric vehicles registered in Mayo in July has risen by 37 percent when compared to the same time last year.

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) today released their official 232 new vehicle registrations statistics for July with new car registrations for the month up by 24 percent when compared to July 2022.

In Mayo there was a 9 percent rise in the number of new car registrations for July with 1,803 cars registered compared to 1,651 in 2022.

The growing popularity of electric vehicles was evident in new car registrations in Mayo with 222 electric vehicles registered in July, a rise of 37 percent in July 2022. Nationally there was a 52 percent rise in the number of electric vehicle sales for July.

The largest number of car registrations in Connacht was in Galway with 4167 cars registered a rise of 10 percent on last year while in Roscommon there was a 19 percent increase in car registrations with 999 cars registered. In Co Sligo, there were 951 car registrations in July while in Leitrim the figure was at 387.

The sales of electric cars also rose around the other counties in Connacht with 702 electric cars registered in Galway, 147 in Sligo, 111 in Roscommon and 50 in Leitrim.

For the month of July 4,161 new electric vehicles were registered in Ireland compared to 2,729 in July 2022, a rise of 52.47 percent. So far this year 18,458 new electric cars have been registered in comparison to 11,175, a rise of 65.17 in the same period 2022.

In July, the car market share grew, with petrol retaining the largest share at 32.29 percent, Diesel accounting for 22.06percent, Hybrid 18.04percent, Electric 17.64percent, and Plug-in Electric Hybrid 7.67 percent. A surge in battery electric vehicles, Plug-in Hybrids and Hybrids now see their combined market share (year to date) at 43.35 percent.

The top selling car for July was the Hyundai Tucson which remains the most popular car in 2023 while Toyota remains the most popular car brand in the Irish market. The Volkswagen ID4 is the top selling electric vehicle and is the fifth most popular car model.

Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General commented that the new car market for the first month of the 232 registration plate indicates a strong performance with electric car sales the highlight of the market.

“So far this year 18,458 battery electric cars have been registered, an increase of nearly two-thirds on 2022. Improved supply and a greater range of new models available for motorists has supported this momentum behind EVs. The availability of SEAI grants to support positive decision making has been key, and their retention beyond this year, along with other EV incentives, is vital if we want to build on this success.

“Taking a closer look at the EV registration numbers, the main driver of growth is from consumers, who do qualify for the grant, and account for over 76 percent of EV sales. However, there also needs to be a focus on the business market, which without grant support really needs to see the extension of the BIK reliefs in Budget 2024, while investment in the public charging infrastructure is also crucial at this stage,” he said.