Somewhat surprisingly, given the dire economic clouds in the air, sales of new cars in Ireland (actually registrations, which we are duty-bound to point out is not necessarily the same thing) actually rose in April 2026, and electric cars were very much the engine ('scuse the pun) of those sales.
By how much did new car sales go up?
Overall sales (registrations…) were up by 17 per cent in April, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), which compiles the figures. 10,184 new cars were registered last month, compared to 8,707 in the same month in 2025. It means that overall registrations are up by 2.1 per cent year to date, having reached 75,074.
How many electric cars were sold?
Lots. In fact, April saw 2,997 new EVs registered compared to 1,335 in April 2025, which is a rise of 109.7 per cent. So far this year, 16,779 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 48.5 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 11,299 electric cars were registered. It's been suggested to CompleteCar that the spike in oil prices and the interruption in petrol and diesel supplies caused by the nationwide fuel price protests have been a key driver of the rise in electric car sales.
What about other sales and registrations?
Light commercials, or vans, saw their sales fall in April by three per cent, which is a worrying sign of underlying economic activity, although for the year to date, van sales and registrations are up by 14 per cent.
Imported used cars - mostly from Japan - have seen a 43.1 per cent rise to 7,510 cars in April 2026, when compared to April 2025 (5,248 cars). Year-to-date imports are up 40.1 per cent to 31,154 cars.
Brian Cooke, SIMI's Director General, said: "April's new car market saw a 17 per cent increase when compared to the same month last year, with 10,184 units registered. Year-to-date new car sales are 2 per cent ahead of last year, with a total of 75,074 new cars registered. New battery electric vehicles for April delivered another positive performance across all counties, with 2,799 units registered, compared to 1,335 in April 2025. Year-to-date BEV sales have reached 16,779 units, a 49 per cent increase on the same period last year. The strong performance in BEV sales is driven by private consumers, who account for 77 per cent of sales, with this sector of the market being supported by strong Government incentives. However, the BEV's new car market share of 22 per cent is still below the level required to meet national climate targets. The momentum behind the EV project is there, and we must build on this. Now is not the time to reduce supports. The Government must maintain and extend current incentives for consumers and businesses while investing in infrastructure, along with a range of targeted measures to encourage widespread EV adoption before 2030.”
What are the best-sellers?
Hybrid power is still holding the overall sales top slot, with 26.6 per cent of the market, followed by fully electric cars on 22.35 per cent, then petrol power on 21.25 per cent, plug-in hybrid on 14.41 per cent, and finally diesel on 12.96 per cent.
Toyota still tops the brands in the best sellers chart, followed by Volkswagen, Skoda, Hyundai, and Kia. The Toyota Yaris Cross is still the best-selling car for the year so far, followed by the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Skoda Kodiaq, and Toyota Corolla.
When it comes to electric cars specifically, Hyundai holds the top spot, followed by Volkswagen, Kia, BYD, and Skoda. The best-selling electric models for the year so far are the VW ID.4, the Kia EV3, the Hyundai Inster, the Skoda Enyaq, and the Skoda Elroq.
The best-selling new car in April was the Toyota RAV4, while the best-selling new electric car in April was the Skoda Enyaq.