Sligo is the only county to have seen a reduction in electric vehicle registrations this year.
New electric vehicle registrations have risen 49% in 2023, signalling continued growth in the electric market.
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The figures, released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), show 9,303 new electric cars have been registered so far this year, in comparison to 6,235 during the same period in 2022.
Both Cavan and Clare have seen an increase of over 100% in the number of new electric cars registered versus the same three-month period last year. In Cork, an additional 371 electric cars have hit the road.
Nationally, only one county has seen a reduction in registrations this year, with just two fewer vehicles registered in Sligo.
Benefit-in-kind rules
SIMI Director General Brian Cooke said that “the momentum behind electric vehicles shows no signs of abating”, pointing to the proposed temporary change to benefit-in-kind rules for 2023 as optimism for continued growth.
Finance Minister Michael McGrath announced the changes as part of the Finance Bill 2023 last month.
The Bill proposes to increase the current benefit-in-kind allowance by €10,000, applied to the original market value of cars. For electric vehicles, this means the total relief for 2023 would be €45,000 if the Bill is passed.
This follows plans announced in Budget 2023 to cut the electric vehicle subsidy by 30%. From July this year, the maximum grant available to motorists purchasing electric vehicles will be cut from €5,000 to €3,500.
The Government said last month that over 40,000 electric vehicles have been purchased with the grant since 2011. New electric vehicle registrations have also risen substantially since 2019.
Electric vehicles now cover 16% of the total market behind petrol (32.6%), diesel (22.8%), and hybrid (20.6%).
The Government is targeting 30% of the private car fleet to have switched to electric vehicles as part of its Climate Action Plan 2023.
The overall new car market is also up 16% on 2022, but still lags behind pre-covid levels.
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