Ireland's electric share for 2026 has climbed to 26.3% after a steady August. Electric cars registered so far this year are up 55% on 2025, and SIMI is now pushing Budget 2026 to protect the incentives behind it.

<p>Ireland registered <strong>7,811 new cars in August 2026</strong>, up <strong>3%</strong> on August 2025, taking the year-to-date total to <strong>121,979</strong>, up <strong>5%</strong>, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (<a href="https://www.simi.ie/en/news/strong-electric-car-registrations-in-august-budget-2026-must-build-on-momentum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SIMI, 1 September 2026</a>). August sits between the two plate months, so a modest month with a real electric story underneath is the expected shape of the release.</p> <h3>Electric up 55% for the year</h3> <p>August battery-electric registrations were <strong>2,265 units, up 7%</strong> year on year. The number that matters more is the year-to-date total: <strong>32,079 electric cars registered so far in 2026, up 55%</strong> on the 20,642 registered in the same period last year (<a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2026/0901/1589934-simi-car-registrations-for-august.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RTE corroboration</a>). Electric now holds a <strong>26.3% share</strong> of 2026 registrations, ahead of petrol-electric hybrid at 24.14%, petrol at 20.09%, plug-in hybrid at 14.85% and diesel at 12.56%.</p> <h3>SIMI is already talking about Budget 2026</h3> <p>SIMI's own framing for this release names Budget 2026 directly: the industry body wants the current incentive stack, the SEAI purchase grant, VRT relief and low motor tax, protected rather than trimmed, arguing the momentum behind the 55% year-to-date EV growth is fragile if the supports move. That is a policy ask sitting on top of a genuinely strong number, and it is worth reading the two separately.</p> <h3>The Toyota RAV4 keeps winning</h3> <p>August's best-selling car overall was again the Toyota RAV4, with the Volkswagen ID.4 topping the electric ranking. Neither result is new; both have led their categories for most of 2026.</p> <h3>What is left in the year</h3> <p>Ireland has one more meaningful volume window left, the run into the January plate, but the bulk of 2026's registrations are now in the book. On the current run-rate Ireland closes 2026 with its highest-ever annual EV share. Open the live <a href="/ireland.html" style="color:#ff5300;">Ireland dashboard</a> for monthly bars, county splits and the SIMI-verified fuel mix.</p>

Ireland August 2026: Electric Cars Now a Quarter of the Year as Market Grows 5% to 121,979