Ireland's electric car market has grown from a rounding error to a genuine force in the space of about six years. In 2018, 1,233 new electric cars were registered (SIMI). By 2024, that number stood at 17,459 units, a 14.41% share of all new passenger car registrations, after 22,852 in 2023. In 2025 it rose again to 23,601, an 18.89% share (SIMI, 2 January 2026). The growth curve has been steep, but it has not been smooth, and the headline percentage can be misleading if you do not understand how the Irish market works.
The January Distortion
Because Ireland front-loads a quarter of its annual car sales into January, the EV share in that single month can look very different from the full-year average. In January 2024, EVs took about 13% of registrations (4,109 of 31,407, on SIMI's January release), slightly below the 14.41% recorded for the full year. In 2025 the gap was wider: 14.69% in January against 18.89% for the full year. A single month, even the biggest one, is not a reliable guide to the annual share.
Which EVs Are Irish Buyers Choosing?
Tesla was the best-selling EV brand in Ireland in 2024, ahead of Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai and BYD, and the five best-selling electric models were the Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6 and Hyundai Kona, on SIMI's year-end release. The average transaction price for an EV in Ireland is still higher than for a comparable petrol or hybrid car, but the gap has been narrowing as manufacturers launch more models in the 30,000 to 40,000 euro range.
The Charging Problem
Ireland's public charging network is still small next to the densest European networks, such as the Netherlands. The geographic distribution is the bigger problem. Dublin and its surrounding commuter belt have decent coverage. Cork city is reasonable. But large swathes of the west, midlands, and northwest have significant gaps.
ESB ecars operates the majority of the public network, with newer entrants like Ionity and EasyGo adding high-powered hubs along motorways. For drivers who can charge at home, which means those with a driveway or private parking, the experience is generally fine. But apartment dwellers and terraced-house residents face real barriers that no amount of purchase grants can solve.
Government Supports
The SEAI grant of up to 3,500 euro for new BEV purchases, combined with VRT relief and reduced motor tax, has been a meaningful incentive. The government's Climate Action Plan envisages roughly 30% of the private car fleet being electric by 2030. Whether that is achievable depends on price parity and charging access as much as on consumer demand.
How Ireland Compares
At 14.4% in 2024, Ireland's EV share was below the UK's 19.6% (SMMT), which is supported by the ZEV mandate, and well ahead of the US at about 8% (Cox Automotive estimate). It is far behind Norway, where 88% of new cars sold in 2024 were battery electric (IEA Global EV Outlook 2025). The comparison that matters most for Ireland, though, is within its own timeline. Going from about 1% to 14% in six years is fast by any measure.
Dive into the full EV data on AutoNergy. The Electric Cars section shows fuel-type transitions, EV share by year, and model-level breakdowns across all four markets.
Source: SIMI, 2 January 2025.