While the number of new cars registered here in the seven months to end-July fell by 25%, according to the CSO the number of new electric vehicles rose by almost 80%.

Statistician Nele van der Wielen said: “Today’s figures show the continued growth in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland. The number of new electric cars has increased by 79% from 5,649 in the first seven months of 2021 to 10,105 in 2022. 

"At the same time, the number of new diesel cars is decreasing. For the first seven months of 2022, 20,931 new cars licensed were diesel cars compared with 27,754 in the same period in 2021.”

Overall, new car registrations in July alone declined by 25%, or 5,154 vehicles, compared to July 2021. The most popular make of new car was Toyota, with 2,592 vehicles, followed by Volkswagen with 2,084. 

Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia and Skoda accounted for 58% of all new private cars licensed in July.

In Association with

A similar figure applied to used private cars, where the number licensed fell by 26% in July. For the seven months, the number of used cars licensed fell by 40%, from 45,552 during the same period in 2021 to 27,372.

During the seven months to end-July, 27% of the new cars licensed were diesel, a reduction of 35% on the same period last year.