Registrations of new cars in Ireland - which is not necessarily the same as actual sales, but pretty close - fell by 8.8 per cent in May, compared to the same month last year.
So how many cars were registered?
In May, 5,832 new cars were registered compared to 6,398 in the same month last year. That means that total new registrations for this year to date have reached 79,301 which is a rise of 2.4 per cent compared to the same period last year.
What about electric cars?
Electric car sales continue to rise, with 1,092 registered in May (that's up by 5.3 per cent), and 12,392 have been registered so far this year, which is a 23.3 per cent increase on the same period last year. Mind you, that still doesn't quite reverse the 24 per cent fall in EV sales in 2024.
What's happening elsewhere in the market?
Imports are on the rise - up 7.9 per cent in May, and up by 7.5 per cent for the year to date, with a total of 28,184 for the year to date. Light commercial vehicles - vans - saw their registrations fall by 1.6 per cent in May, and and 8.8 per cent for the year to date, which may indicate some softening of business sentiment in the wider economy.
Brian Cooke, Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, which collates the figures, commented: “New car registrations in May saw a nine per cent decline when compared to the same month last year, although year-to-date sales remain ahead of last year, with a total of 79,301 new cars registered, up over two per cent. For the fifth consecutive month, new electric vehicle sales have increased, with EV registrations five per cent ahead of May last year, with over 12,300 new electric cars sold so far this year, representing a 23 per cent increase on last year. Private consumers continue to account for the majority of EV sales. While we are now on schedule to reach the interim Climate Action Plan target of 175,000 electric cars (EV & PHEV) by the end of this year, as highlighted by the EPA recently, we need to do more to accelerate the growth in EV sales between now and the end of the decade. In this context, Government initiatives and supports will be vital. The Commercial vehicle sector experienced a decline in May, with the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market down nearly two per cent in May and nine per cent year to date. Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations are down 22 per cent in May and ten per cent year to date. Overall commercial vehicle sales are a concern, reflecting the uncertain business environment at present, with many companies deferring investment decisions.”
Peaking specifically on the EV sales aspect, Oliver Holt, Sales Manager, UK and Ireland for telematics and vehicle analysis company Geotab, said: “The sales increase for Electric Vehicles revealed today is another positive milestone for the transition to zero emissions vehicles, with May representing the fifth consecutive month of year-on-year growth. The shine has been taken off the announcement, however, with the latest analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency revealing that the Government's 2030 target of having 945,000 EVs on Irish roads will be at least 300,000 vehicles short in a best case scenario. Half a million additional EVs will need to roll off Irish forecourts in order to reach the new projection of 640,000, but with 12,392 sold in Ireland this year to date we remain far off the pace. There are some positive signs, with interventions like the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate, which requires relevant bodies to only procure zero-emission vehicles wherever possible, having an impact on public sector procurement decisions. The Public Sector Climate Action Mandate highlights how Government intervention can spur positive change. The opportunity is now at hand to speed up the momentum behind the switch to EVs and cut transport emissions. Investing in incentives has the potential to make significant savings for the Exchequer by avoiding billions in EU fines for missing our climate targets.”
What are the top sellers?
It's all pretty much as you were. Toyota remains the best-selling car brand, followed by Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda, and Kia. You can pretty much set your watch, at this stage, by the Hyundai Tucson being the best-selling car and that remains the case, and it's followed by the Toyota RAV4, the Toyota Yaris Cross, the Kia Sportage, and the Skoda Octavia.
The top-selling electric brand for the year so far is Volkswagen, followed by Kia, Hyundai, Tesla, and BYD. The best-selling electric car so far is the Volkswagen ID.4, followed by the Kia EV3, the Tesla Model 3, the Kia EV6, and the Hyundai Kona. The Volkswagen Tiguan was the best-selling car overall in May, and May's best-selling electric car was the Hyundai Inster.