Switch to electric vehicles is accelerating, new figures suggest – The Irish Times

A couple of years ago, it wasn’t certain that sales of new electric vehicles (EVs) would overtake their diesel and petrol counterparts. In 2024, registration of EVs fell by 25 per cent.

With government incentives falling, the cost of the cars creeping higher and concerns over charging infrastructure, motorists seemed reluctant to make the jump.

The picture looks a little different now. The latest figures from both the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (Simi) and the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that more people than ever before are turning to electric cars, with diesel in particular falling out of favour.

According to figures published on Friday by the CSO, the number of EVs registered for the first time in March rose by 39 per cent compared to the same month in 2025. Petrol and diesel, on the other hand, fell by 10 per cent and 19 per cent respectively, while hybrid vehicles were also lower, declining by 7 per cent.

Looking at broader trends, the combined share of petrol and diesel cars licensed between January and March fell to 33 per cent, down from 43 per cent in 2025. In contrast, EVs saw a rise in market share, increasing to 23 per cent from 17 per cent a year earlier.

Looking at the individual figures, while the number of new, private EVs licensed in the first three months of the year rose by 39 per cent year on year, petrol vehicles were down by 20 per cent and diesel fell by 22 per cent.

Some 11,942 EVs were sold over the three-month period, with petrol cars at 10,820 and diesel trailing at 6,709.

The Simi figures are compiled from the registrations of vehicles while the CSO looks at Revenue figures for cars taxed for the first time. But they show a similar trend. Simi said sales of new diesel cars were down by 37 per cent in March while petrol sales dropped by 38 per cent. EV sales are gaining ground, growing by 52 per cent over this period.

Rising fuel prices have clearly been influencing car choices. Team that with the current fuel protests, and EVsare looking increasingly attractive to drivers, regardless of range anxieties.