A significant decrease in electric vehicle (EV) sales has been recorded in the country this year, with just over 15,000 new EVs sold so far, according to new figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).
This represents a drop of more than 25 per cent compared to the same period last year.
August alone saw 1,259 new EV registrations, marking a sharp decline of over 29 per cent from the same month in 2023.
The Volkswagen ID.4 has emerged as the top-selling EV model this year, followed closely by the Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Kona, and Kia EV6.
The SIMI has urged the government to prioritize support for EVs in the upcoming Budget 2025.
Overall, the Irish car market has seen a slight decline in new car registrations, with 112,171 units sold in the first eight months of the year, down 0.9 per cent from the same period last year.
In terms of market share, petrol cars continue to lead at over 31 per cent, followed by diesel vehicles at 23 per cent.
Hybrid petrol-electric cars account for nearly 21 per cent of the market, while electric vehicles hold a 13.4 per cent share, and plug-in hybrids make up 9.5 per cent.