Government initiatives to boost electric vehicle (EV) usage—a vital component in its climate action strategy—appear to be facing a lull. Newly licensed EVs saw a substantial decline, around 24% in the first seven months of the year. According to data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Tuesday, fresh EV registrations—which mirror sales—were at a low of 12,765 between January and July, a drop from the 16,766 vehicles registered in the same period last year.
Most notably, the EV share of all new automobile licences has fallen from 18% last year to just 14% in the current year. In contrast, the registration numbers for petrol and electric hybrid vehicles saw an increase during both periods, according to CSO.
There’s speculation that rapid battery wear and tear, as well as the slow implementation of state charging facilities, may be hindering the uptake of EVs. Additionally, the government’s choice to reduce grants for EV purchases is also believed to contribute to this decline.
The government’s Climate Action Plan envisions nearly one million EVs running on Irish roads by 2030, encompassing 845,000 cars and an additional 100,000 commercial vehicles such as lorries, vans, and buses. However, these registration figures cast doubt on the feasibility of this already ambitious target.
Despite the decline in EV sales, the seven-month period saw a 3% increase in newly-licensed private cars, and a 28% increase in licensed second-hand (imported) vehicles. The number of newly-registered hybrid vehicles (petrol and electric) also rose by 33% compared to the same period last year, leading to an increase in the overall market share from 18% to 22%. However, the overall ratio of petrol and diesel vehicles among newly-licensed private cars has remained consistent at 56%, as per the CSO.
Toyota emerged as the leading brand among drivers in Ireland, contributing to 2,546 of the total new private vehicles registered in July, trailed by Volkswagen with 2,456, Hyundai with 2,164, Skoda with 1,600, and Kia with 1,393. The combined total of these five manufacturers made up over half (55%) of all new private vehicles registered within this time frame.
Concerning new electric vehicle registrations in July, the Volkswagen ID.4 led the pack with 338, behind which were the Tesla Model Y at 190 and Kia’s EV 6 at 119.