Car registrations in Ireland are marginally down for the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, writes Brian Byrne. The 0.3pc shortfall represents just 286 cars less, while the number of imported used cars for the period is up by 7,766 to 37,199.
With 13,885 new electric cars sold up to the end of July, the EV drop is 25pc, according to the figures compiled by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. Top selling electric car is the VW ID.4.
The top selling car brand is Toyota, followed by Volkswagen, Skoda, Hyundai and Kia. The top selling model is recorded as the Hyundai Tucson, followed by Skoda's Octavia, Kia's Sportage, Toyota's RAV 4 and the Toyota Yaris Cross.
SIMI's Director General Brian Cooke says the market is at 'a critical juncture' on the journey to Zero Emission Vehicles. "We need decisive actions in the Budget to arrest this slide and to reignite Ireland's EV momentum," he said. "This can be done by extending the BIK incentive at current levels, and increasing the SEAI Grants back to 2022 levels until the EV market recovers. Budget 2025 is a real chance for Government to signal their commitment to fleet electrification and is an opportunity they should grasp.”
