A 25 percent drop was recorded in the number of electric cars licensed for the first time in the first eight months of 2024, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Only 14,333 new electric cars were licensed by August, compared to 19,021 in the same period last year, marking a notable slowdown in the adoption of EVs.
In contrast, petrol and electric hybrid vehicles saw a surge in popularity. The number of new hybrid cars licensed grew by 31 percent, rising from 16,239 in the first eight months of 2023 to 21,351 over the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, the number of petrol cars licensed fell slightly by 3 percent, from 34,445 in 2023 to 33,267 in 2024.
Diesel car licensing, however, showed a modest rise, with a 6 percent increase from 22,484 last year to 23,753 this year.
Despite the slowdown in electric car registrations, the overall number of new private cars licensed in the first eight months of 2024 increased by 1 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
A total of 103,511 new cars were licensed, slightly up from 102,600 last year.
Toyota emerged as the most popular car brand during the month, followed by Volkswagen, Kia, Skoda, and Hyundai, according to the CSO.