Sales of electric cars in Ireland have soared by almost 39 per cent so far this year, the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (Simi) said on Wednesday, reversing a trend that began when the Government slashed incentives for buyers in 2023.
Some 1,737 new electric vehicles (EV) were registered in the Republic last month, an increase of 73.2 per cent from September 2024.
In the first nine months of 2025, 22,382 new electric vehicles (EVs) have been registered, 28.8 per cent ahead of the same period last year, SIMI said.
Registrations were also 3 per cent ahead of the same nine-month period in 2023, when the previous Government slashed the maximum grant available for purchasing an electric vehicle from €5,000 to €3,500, a move that precipitated a sharp decline in EV sales.
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Although EV sales have been rising across Europe this year due to a combination of global factors.
A wider choice of EVs at different price points across the market has made it easier and more cost-effective for drivers to go electric, while the roll-out of charging infrastructure appears to be easing concerns around vehicle range.
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Volkswagen has been the top-selling new electric car brand so far this year, according to SIMI, followed by Kia, Hyundai, Tesla and Skoda.
Electric car sales are, however, still heavily dependent on Government supports, including the SEAI Grant, Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) relief, and zero per cent Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) threshold.
Brian Cooke, director general of Simi, said the Coalition needs to extend the existing supports in Budget 2026 next week “to provide certainty to motorists, businesses, and the industry”.
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“The growth of the new EV market is also essential in generating the used EV market supply,” he added.
“EV adoption remains a critical part of our climate change goals, and incentives that may be a cost now will result in being a cost-saving in the future. Incentives are not an option; they are a necessity.”
Overall, new car registrations were up 9.8 per cent in September and 3.7 per cent over the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period last year, SIMI said.
