Car sales rise by 15% as people opt for electric and hybrid models

The number of new cars licensed in September 2022 rose by 961 (15%) vehicles compared with September 2021, latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.

In the first nine months of 2022, 22% of all new cars licensed for the first time were electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) compared with 15% in the same period in 2021.

There was a fall of 13% in the number of used private cars licensed in September 2022 compared with September 2021.

In the first nine months of 2022, 27% of new private cars licensed were diesel, compared with 34% in the same period in 2021.

The number of used cars licensed in the first nine months of 2022 decreased by 35% compared with the same period in 2021 (36,140 versus 55,827).

There were 12,763 used (imported) diesel private cars licensed in the first nine months of 2022, compared with 31,304 in the same period in 2021, a fall of 59%.

Volkswagen (1,244) was the most popular make of new private cars licensed in September 2022.

Commenting on the data, Nele van der Wielen, Statistician in the transport section of the CSO, said: “Today’s figures from the CSO show the continued growth in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland. The number of new electric cars licensed has increased by 81% from 7,470 in the first nine months of 2021 to 13,506 in 2022. At the same time, the number of new diesel cars is decreasing. For the first nine months of 2022, 25,113 new cars licensed were diesel cars compared with 32,341 in the same period in 2021.

"There were 36,140 used private cars licensed in the first nine months of 2022 compared with 55,827 in the same period in 2021. The total number of used vehicles licensed in the first nine months of 2022 was down 33% compared with the same period in 2021," Mr van der Wielen.