DUBLIN, Ireland: The number of new electric cars licensed in Ireland has risen sharply this year, with a 34 percent increase in the first seven months compared with the same period in 2024, according to new Central Statistics Office (CSO) data.

From January through July 2025, 17,075 new private electric vehicles (EVs) were licensed, up from 12,765 in the same period last year. EVs accounted for 17 percent of all new private cars registered so far this year, compared with 14 percent a year earlier.

July saw an even steeper rise, with 3,973 EVs registered — a 64 percent jump from 2,421 in July 2024.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also recorded significant gains. In July 2025, 3,080 PHEVs were licensed, up 56 percent from 1,974 in July last year. Year-to-date, PHEVs have made up 15 percent of new private car registrations, compared with nine percent in the same period of 2024.

The combined market share of petrol and diesel cars in January–July 2025 dropped to 44 percent, down from 56 percent last year.

Petrol registrations fell 14 percent in the first seven months of the year, from 30,911 in 2024 to 26,454 in 2025. Diesel car registrations saw an even steeper decline, down 23 percent to 16,681 from 21,624 a year earlier.

In the used car market, 1,614 imported diesel cars were licensed in July 2025, an eight percent increase from 1,490 in July 2024. Used petrol car registrations, however, fell nine percent to 2,577 from 2,799 over the same period.

Total new private car registrations rose eight percent in July 2025 to 19,923, up from 18,512 a year earlier. Used (imported) private cars licensed in the same month increased 17 percent, from 5,660 to 6,640.

Toyota was the leading brand for new private cars in July 2025 with 2,851 registrations, followed by Volkswagen (2,358), Hyundai (2,142), Skoda (2,093), and Kia (1,524). These five brands accounted for 55 percent of all new private car registrations in the month.

Among electric vehicles, the Volkswagen ID.4 was the top seller with 343 units licensed in July, followed by the Hyundai Inster (325) and Kia EV3 (272).

Commenting on the figures, Damien Lenihan, CSO transport statistician, said the data reflects "a 64 percent increase in the number of electric cars licensed for the first time in July 2025 when compared with the same month in 2024," alongside "growth in the licensing of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles."