April sees another sharp drop in EV sales

Of this figure, 1,091 were new electric cars, which was 41.4% lower than the 1,863 registrations in April 2023. So far this year, just 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.

SIMI director general Brian Cooke said another month of decline in new EV car sales reflects a trend 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," he said.

"In Ireland, private consumers have been the key drivers of the EV market, and these buyers need greater re-assurances 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."

The vice president of fleet management firm GeoTab, David Savage, said the market for electric vehicles in Ireland needed a shot in the arm in terms of confidence.

"The only way to achieve that is by Government stepping up to the mark and putting its money where its mouth is in regards to its stated ambition of having 945,000 EVs on Irish roads by 2030," he said.

"That target is a figment of the Government’s imagination at this stage, with the Department of Transport’s internal projections showing that only 416,000 zero-emission vehicles will have been sold at that time," he said.

The dismal level of EV sales has to be looked at in the context of the National Climate Plan, where a reduction in transport emissions is essential as part of Ireland's legally binding targets

"Despite positioning the electrification of the national fleet as the biggest policy lever within the National Climate Plan, any ambition of delivering on this appears to have fizzled out.”

According to SIMI, petrol cars continue to dominate new car sales with 32.9% of the market, followed by diesel at 23.6%, then hybrid (petrol electric) at 20.4%, electric at 12.7% and plug-in electric hybrid at 8.76%.

The drop in EV sales in Ireland is something that has been replicated across Europe. Last month, a report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA) urged the EU to rethink its policies to make a 2035 ban on new petrol car sales feasible, given the cars remain unaffordable and alternative fuel options are not credible.

The EU wants to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and hopes to meet its targets with the widespread use of electric vehicles as road transport accounts for nearly a quarter of its emissions.