Electric vehicle sales continue to decline sharply in Mayo
The revised Tucson will have a new grille styling with fewer lighting elements in the side stacks.
New car registrations dropped in April by 3.6% compared to the same month last year, according to the latest figure from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI0.
A total of 8,591 cars were sold in Ireland in April 2024 compared to 8,912 in April 2023. However, registrations for the year to date are up 6.0% on the same period last year. There were 71,110 new registrations in the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 when there were 67,063.
In Mayo, the number of new registrations since the start of the year rose by 4.15%, from 1,156 in 2023 to 1,204 in 2024. There was a more moderate increase of 2.35% in Galway, from 2,720 to 2,784, while in Roscommon, new registrations increased by 3.48% from 661 to 684. The biggest rise in new registrations in Connacht were in Sligo and Leitrim. The Yeats County saw a 14.59% jump from 610 to 699, while Leitrim, which has the smallest car market in the country, rose from 255 to 294 (15.29%).
One of the notable trends of the data was the sharp decline in electric car registrations, not just in April but since the start of the year.
Last month, some 1,091 new electric cars were registered, which was 41.4% lower than the 1,863 registrations in April 2023. So far this year, a total of 9,028 new electric cars have been registered, which is a 19.1% decrease compared to the same period in 2023 when 11,160 electric cars were registered.
The decline is even steeper west of the Shannon with only 83 new electric cars registered in Mayo in the first four months of the year, compared to 131 for the same period in 2023. In Galway, sales fell from 433 to 278, while in Sligo, just 63 electric vehicles were registered compared to 85 last year.
Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General, said:
“April new car registrations saw a decrease of 3.6% when compared to the same month last year. Despite the softening in demand for new cars in recent weeks, year-to-date new car sales remain 6% ahead of 2023.
"Sales of light and heavy commercial vehicles continued to grow both in April and year to date. The electric vehicle (EV) segment experienced another month of decline in registrations, a trend which is being replicated across most EU markets.
"With the supply of new EVs no longer an issue, and with an increasing number of brands and models present in the EV segment, the drop in EV sales is demand-driven. In Ireland, private consumers have been the key drivers of the EV market, and these buyers need greater reassurances to be convinced to make the change. This means rapid investment by the Government in a reliable, convenient, and affordable electric charging infrastructure, while at the same time extending current incentives such as the purchase grant. For businesses and their employees, extension of the Benefit-In Kind (BIK) relief and thresholds at current levels beyond 2024, will create greater confidence that an EV is the right choice for their companies”.
Other data
Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) increased by 3.0% (2,212) compared to April last year (2,148). Year-to-date LCVs are up 29.0% (17,543). HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) registrations are up 37.2% (332) in comparison to April 2023 (242). Year-to-date HGVs are up 19.5% (1,442).
Imported used cars have seen a 35.6% (5,206) rise in April 2024, when compared to April 2023 (3,838). Year-to-date imports are up 26.9% (20,694) on 2023 (16,311).
In the new car market share by engine type for 2024, petrol cars lead the new car market at 32.92%, followed by diesel at 23.56%, then hybrid (Petrol Electric) at 20.44%, electric at 12.70%, and plug-in electric hybrid at 8.76%.
The top-selling car in Ireland in April was the Hyunadai Tucson while the top-selling electric vehicle was the Volkswagen ID.4.
