Sales of new cars in Ireland (well, technically registrations of new cars, which isn't necessarily the same thing) rose by 3.3 per cent in January compared to January 2025. It means 34,604 cars got a 261 plate in the past few weeks.
You mentioned something about electric car sales?
Indeed so. EV sales are roaring ahead, marking a 48.7 per cent rise compared to January 2025, with 7,319 fully electric cars sold. Hybrid powered cars took the overall market lead for the first time, with 28.28 per cent of all sales (registrations…) while petrol slipped to 20.94 per cent, and diesel slumped to just 12.48 per cent. Electric cars actually hold more of the market than petrol cars now - 21.15 per cent, while plug-in hybrids have nabbed 14.56 per cent.
So 'electrified' cars dominate?
Pretty much. Cars with at least a small battery now account for most of the market. Use imports also saw an uptick, rising by 43.5 per cent to 8,041 cars. Van sales increased by 21.6 per cent - usually a good economic indicator - although HGV registrations were down by 16.6 per cent. 78 per cent of all cars registered came with an automatic transmission. #SaveTheManual.
Brian Cooke, Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), which collates the figures, said: "2026 has started promisingly for the new car market. January, a key month for sales, saw 34,604 new cars registered, a three per cent increase on the same month last year. The commercial sector experienced mixed results. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) saw an increase of 22 per cent while Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations saw a decrease of 17 per cent on January last year. Battery technology cars (BEV, PHEV, HEV) saw significant growth. Their market share accounted for nearly two-thirds of new car sales in January, with the combined market share of traditional petrol and diesel cars falling to 33 per cent. Hybrid-electric vehicles are the most popular engine choice, taking the position as market leader for the first time. The momentum in Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) sales from last year has carried over into January 2026. BEV sales rose significantly in January with 7,319 units registered compared to 4,923 units last year, the highest monthly volume to date. Over one in five new cars registered in January were fully electric vehicles. Private consumers accounted for 75 per cent of BEV sales, an 11 per cent increase on last year. Government incentives, expanding EV model choices, and a greater range of price points are all helping consumers make the switch. If we want this emerging market to continue to expand, focus on infrastructure and Government supports will be key.”
Who's on top of the sales charts?
Toyota finished January, as it finished all of 2025, on top of the brand charts, followed by Hyundai, Volkswagen, Skoda, Kia, Peugeot, Ford, Audi, Dacia, and Renault.
For the first time in ages, the best-selling car in the country was not the Hyundai Tucson, but the Toyota Yaris Cross. The Tucson now sits in second place, followed by the Kia Sportage, the Toyota Corolla Cross, the Toyota Corolla, the Hyundai Kona, the Skoda Octavia, the Skoda Kodiaq, the Volkswagen ID.4, and the Volkswagen Tiguan.
The top-selling electric brand was Hyundai, followed by Volkswagen, Kia, BYD, Renault, Skoda, Ford, MG, Cupra, and Toyota. That means there's been another significant change - Tesla no longer appears in the Irish EV best sellers list.
The troubled American brand is also absent from the top-ten EV sales chart. The best-selling EV is still the VW ID.4, followed by the Hyundai Inster, the Kia EV3, the Hyundai Kona, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Toyota BZ, the BYD Sealion 7, the MG S5 EV, and the Ford Explorer.