Ireland registered 7,811 new cars in August 2026, up 3% on August 2025, taking the year-to-date total to 121,979, up 5%, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI, 1 September 2026). August sits between the two plate months, so a modest month with a real electric story underneath is the expected shape of the release.
Electric up 55% for the year
August battery-electric registrations were 2,265 units, up 7% year on year. The number that matters more is the year-to-date total: 32,079 electric cars registered so far in 2026, up 55% on the 20,642 registered in the same period last year (SIMI release, 1 September 2026). Electric now holds a 26.3% share 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%.
SIMI is already talking about Budget 2026
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.
The Toyota RAV4 keeps winning
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.
What is left in the year
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 Ireland dashboard for monthly bars, county splits and the SIMI fuel mix.