New figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal a 61% jump in the number of new private electric cars (EVs) licensed for the first time in January.
A total of 5,439 new EVs were licensed last month compared with 3,386 the same time last year.
The CSO also reported growth in the licensing of new private plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) which were up 10% from 3,427 in January last year to 3,781 in January 2026.
Today’s figures show that 4,639 new petrol cars were licensed in January compared with 5,929 in the same month in 2025, a fall of 22%, while the number of new diesel cars slowed by 20% to 2,933 from 3,670.
Overall, the combined share of petrol and diesel cars among new private cars licensed fell from 43% in January last year to 31% in January 2026.
Meanwhile, the total number of used private cars licensed last month rose by 46% compared with the same month in 2025, increasing to 7,028 from 4,827.
The CSO also said that the number of new goods vehicles licensed in January increased by 23% when compared with January 2025, rising to 2,887 from 2,349. Used (imported) goods vehicles increased by 14% over the same time, it added.
The CSO figures today also show that Toyota was the most popular make of new private car licensed in January at 3,692 vehicles, followed by Hyundai (3,011), Volkswagen (2,106), Kia (2,060), and Skoda (1,945).
Together, these five makes represented 53% of all new private cars licensed in January.
Meanwhile, the most popular brand of new electric car licensed in January was the Volkswagen ID.4 (462), followed by the Hyundai Inster (281), and the Hyundai Kona (254)