Ireland registered 124,954 new passenger cars in 2025, up 3% on the 121,316 of 2024 (SIMI, 2 January 2026). For comparison, the market registered 125,557 in 2018. Registrations remain disproportionately concentrated in the January plate-change month.
EV Share Reaches 18.89%
Pure battery electric vehicles took 18.89% of all 2025 Irish new car registrations, 23,601 cars, up from 14.41% in 2024. SEAI grants and VRT relief continued to support demand. The Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model 3, Kia EV3, Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Inster were the five best-selling electric models.
Toyota Holds #1, VW #2
Toyota was the best-selling brand, with hybrid models leading. Volkswagen and Skoda held the next two spots, followed by Hyundai and Kia. The Hyundai Tucson was the best-selling model, ahead of the Skoda Octavia and Kia Sportage.
The January Effect
January 2025 brought 33,521 registrations, about 27% of full-year sales in a single month. The plate-change effect continues to define the rhythm of Irish car retail.
Diesel at 17%
Diesel's share fell to 17.09% in 2025, from 22.80% in 2024. Diesel held 70% of Irish new car sales as recently as 2016, a fall of about 53 points in nine years.
See the full Ireland fuel mix and county breakdown on the Ireland dashboard.
Source: SIMI, 2 January 2026 and SIMI, January 2025.