How many electric cars were sold in August 2026?
In August, 2,265 new electric cars were registered, a seven per cent rise on the 2,115 registered in August 2025. So far this year, 32,079 new electric cars have been registered, a 55 per cent increase over the same period in 2025, when 20,642 were registered.
That keeps electric cars in top spot for year-to-date market share, at 26.3 per cent, ahead of hybrids on 24.14 per cent, petrol on 20.09 per cent, plug-in hybrids on 14.85 per cent, and diesel on 12.56 per cent.
What were overall sales like in Ireland in August 2026?
August is typically one of the quieter months for new registrations. New car registrations were up three per cent compared to August 2025, with 7,811 new cars registered. That brings the year-to-date total to 121,979, up five per cent on the same period in 2025.
Light commercial vehicle registrations dipped 10 per cent in August, though they remain up seven per cent for the year so far. Heavy goods vehicle registrations rose nine per cent in the month. Imported used cars continued their sharp climb, up 36 per cent in August and 37 per cent year to date.
Brian Cooke, Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI, which collates these figures), said: “August new car registrations saw a 3% increase when compared to the same month last year, with 7,811 units registered. Year-to-date new car sales are 5% ahead of last year, with a total of 121,979 new cars registered. New battery electric car registrations increased by 7% when compared to August 2025, with 2,265 units sold, while year-to-date BEVs have reached 32,079 units, a 55% increase on the same period last year. The market shift towards battery electric vehicles is clearly evident, and it is crucial that the Government supports this trend with incentives that build on this momentum in what is still a developing market.
“Budget 2027 provides the Government with the opportunity to build on the success in BEV sales by extending and retaining the current incentives (the SEAI Grant, Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) relief, and 0% Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) threshold) that are vital in sustaining consumer confidence. This would enable more households and businesses to make the switch, while also supporting our climate change goals. Additional targeted measures like the scrappage scheme, investment in high-powered public charging infrastructure and a focus on the business sectors can also help increase our national fleet and our second-hand BEV market. Now is the time to invest in incentives to drive change.”
How are the top ten charts looking?
No major shake-up. Toyota remains 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, ahead of the Hyundai Tucson, the Skoda Octavia, the Kia Sportage and the Skoda Kodiaq.
In the electric market, Kia leads the brand table for the year so far, followed by Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda and Tesla. The best-selling electric model remains the Volkswagen ID.4, ahead of the Tesla Model Y, the Skoda Enyaq, the Skoda Elroq and the Toyota bZ4X.
The best-selling new car in August overall was the Toyota RAV4, while the best-selling electric car was again the Volkswagen ID.4.
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