How many electric cars were sold in July 2026?
In July, 9,682 new electric cars were registered, which is an astonishing 98 per cent rise over the same month in 2025. So far this year, 29,840 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 61 per cent increase over the same period in 2025, when 18,527 were registered.
It means that, for the year to date, electric cars hold a 26.1 per cent share of Ireland's new car market, with hybrids at 24.59 per cent; petrol engines at 20.39 per cent; plug-in hybrids at 14.45 per cent; and diesel at 12.45 per cent.
What were overall sales like in Ireland in July 2026?
Pretty healthy. New registrations were up by almost nine per cent in July, compared to July 2025, and that means that new car registrations for the year to date are up by 5.2 per cent compared to the same time period in 2025, with 114,228 new cars registered.
Brian Cooke, Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI, which collates these figures), said: "July new car registrations saw a nine per cent increase when compared to the same month last year, with 29,046 units registered. Year-to-date new car sales are five per cent ahead of last year, with a total of 114,228 new cars registered. The highlight of the market is clearly the performance of battery electric vehicle sales, achieving record-breaking results, with 9,682 EVs registered in July, a 98 per cent increase when compared to July 2025. This is the highest monthly EV sales ever achieved. Battery electric vehicles were not just the most popular engine type for July; they have now overtaken hybrid cars as the most popular for the year to date with 29,840 units registered, a 61 per cent increase on last year, and now account for 26 per cent of Ireland's new car market.
"This increase in EV sales would not have been achieved without Government supports. In particular, the Government's pilot scrappage scheme, introduced in July, along with the existing EV grant supports, have helped build on market momentum. The record increase in EV sales is proof that incentives work not just in urban areas but also for rural motorists, who received the majority of scrappage grants. The increase in EV sales is evident in every county. The current incentives are fundamental to market growth, and SIMI are calling for their retention and extension in Budget 2027. EV adoption remains a critical part of our climate change goals, and any Government incentives today will result in both cost-savings and reductions in emissions in the future.”
How are the top ten charts looking?
Familiar… Toyota is still the top-selling brand overall in 2026, followed by Volkswagen, Skoda, Hyundai, and Kia. The best-selling car so far this year is the Toyota Yaris Cross (a position it's held since January), followed by the Hyundai Tucson, the Toyota Corolla, the Skoda Octavia, and the Kia Sportage.
The best-selling brands in the electric market so far this year are Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai, Skoda, and Tesla. The best-selling electric model remains the Volkswagen ID.4, followed by the Toyota BZ, the Skoda Enyaq, the Tesla Model Y, and the Skoda Elroq.
The best-selling new car in July overall was the Skoda Octavia, while the best-selling electric car was the Volkswagen ID.4.
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