New car sales have risen 2.4 percent in the first five months of this year, powered by strong demand for electric and hybrid vehicles even as traditional petrol and diesel car purchases continue to fall.
The automotive market is experiencing a clear shift toward electrification, with electric vehicle sales jumping 23 percent and regular hybrid sales surging nearly 18 percent compared to the same period last year. Petrol plug-in hybrid vehicles have seen the most dramatic growth, with sales up 54 percent.
This growth contrasts sharply with declining sales of conventional fuel vehicles. Petrol car sales dropped 13 percent while diesel vehicle purchases fell 22 percent, reflecting changing consumer preferences and environmental considerations.
Of the 79,301 new vehicle registrations recorded through May, petrol cars still lead with 21,890 sales, but the gap is narrowing. Regular hybrids followed with 18,312 registrations, while diesel vehicles accounted for 13,816 sales. Fully electric cars recorded 12,392 registrations, with petrol plug-in hybrids reaching 11,608 sales.
Toyota maintains its position as the country’s top-selling car brand, capturing 14 percent of the market. Volkswagen holds second place with 11.2 percent market share, followed by Hyundai at 9.6 percent, Skoda at 9.3 percent, and Kia with 7.8 percent. BMW leads premium brands and ranks sixth overall with a 4.1 percent market share.
The Hyundai Tucson emerged as the year’s best-selling model with 3,308 registrations, outpacing Toyota’s RAV4 and Yaris Cross. Toyota’s dominance in the hybrid market remains unchallenged, holding over 51 percent market share with 9,414 registrations, far ahead of second-place Nissan’s 1,335 units.
In the competitive plug-in hybrid segment, Hyundai leads with 2,105 sales, narrowly ahead of BMW’s 2,010 registrations. Toyota and Kia follow closely with 1,186 and 1,185 sales respectively.
Volkswagen continues to dominate the electric vehicle market, maintaining its lead over Kia, Hyundai, and Tesla. The VW ID.4 remains the top-selling electric model with 1,152 registrations, significantly ahead of the second-place Kia EV3, which recorded 734 sales.
However, the commercial vehicle sector tells a different story. Van sales declined 8.8 percent to 17,795 registrations through May, while truck sales fell more sharply by 16 percent to 1,780 units. Ford leads the van market with 4,361 registrations, followed by Renault with 2,561 sales.
The data reflects broader trends in the automotive industry as manufacturers and consumers increasingly embrace electrification while moving away from traditional combustion engines.