Drilling down into 2023’s new-car registration figures to find out which parts of the country are adopting electrified vehicles the fastest.

With the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) recently reporting that 2023 was a strong year for new-car sales, and electric vehicles (EVs) forming a significant part of the overall figures, Cartell has decided to look at a regional level to see how parts of Ireland are adopting both EVs and hybrids.

SIMI’s final number of total new registrations in 2023 is set at 122,310, with pure EVs accounting for 22,789 (18.63%) of that number. Petrol hybrids (non-plug-in) followed, with 22,597 registrations (18.48 %), then petrol-electric plug-in hybrids at 10,085 registrations (8.25 %).

It’s worth noting that pure petrol-engined cars were on top (36,852, 30.13%) with diesel in second (27,248, 22.28%).

However, while internal-combustion power still seems to rule supreme in Ireland, it would seem the needle of consumer demand is shifting ever more towards electric propulsion – with some areas of the country seeing electric outstripping diesel sales.

Nationally, the top ten preferred brands were Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda, Kia, Ford, Audi, BMW, Dacia and then Peugeot, in descending order. Many of these marques have either strong EV line-ups, or a heavy focus on electrification in the form of hybrids, particularly Toyota.

That’s reflected in the most successful models, including the top-selling Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Yaris Cross.

However, only one pure EV made the top ten – the Volkswagen ID.4, sitting in fifth place overall.

Against that backdrop of preferences, let’s look at the individual areas of Ireland to see how they’re adopting EVs and hybrids.

SOUTH-WEST

Co. Cork = 13,903 sales (11.37% of nat. total); EV sales 16.69% of Cork’s figures
Co. Kerry = 2,438 sales (1.99% of nat. total); EV sales 12.63% of Kerry’s figures

Cork, as Ireland’s second city, is the location of the second Tesla showroom in the country, but despite that the American EV company doesn’t feature in the county’s top tens. Co. Cork follows the national pattern, in the main, with its three favourite brands being Toyota, Hyundai and Kia. There are no out-and-out EV-only models in its favoured vehicles, but nine out of ten of the best-selling cars in Cork either have strong hybrid representation in their line-ups, or at least an electric model to opt for (e.g. the Hyundai Kona in ninth). Cork favoured petrol (32.22%) and then diesel (21.10%) power for its new cars in 2023.

Kerry, though smaller in the number of sales and percentage of EVs as part of that figure, did at least see the Volkswagen ID.4, Ireland’s favourite EV, in tenth place on its list, with 48 examples sold across the year. Petrol hybrids outsold EVs in Kerry in 2023, with 17.97% of its total new-car sales.

SOUTH-EAST

Co. Carlow = 1,255 sales (1.03% of nat. total); EV sales 17.05% of Carlow’s figures
Co. Kilkenny = 2,042 sales (1.67% of nat. total); EV sales 13.52% of Kilkenny’s figures
Co. Tipperary = 2,926 sales (2.39% of nat. total); EV sales 12.92% of Tipperary’s figures
Co. Waterford = 2,752 sales (2.25% of nat. total); EV sales 15.12% of Waterford’s figures
Co. Wexford = 2,847 sales (2.33% of nat. total); EV sales 17.95% of Wexford’s figures

None of the south-east counties particularly bucked the national trend, with petrol and diesel taking the top two spots in all five locations – albeit diesel won out (with 29.08% market share) in Tipperary. Hybrid cars performed well across the region, though, while the pure-electric ID.4 appeared in ninth on Waterford’s list and a more impressive fifth in Wexford.

SHANNON

Co. Clare = 2,398 sales (1.96% of nat. total); EV sales 17.56% of Clare’s figures
Co. Limerick = 3,801 sales (3.11% of nat. total); EV sales 15.44% of Limerick’s figures

Clare seems to be moving towards EVs earlier than some other counties in Ireland. EVs’ market share in the location was almost at the national average level of take-up. Petrol hybrids also took more than 20% market share in each county of the Shannon area, while the Volkswagen ID.4 was on the top-ten list of both places too – seventh with 71 sales in Clare, eighth with 88 sales in Limerick.

DUBLIN AND EAST MIDLANDS

Electric Cars Dublin

Dublin = 53,954 sales (44.11% of nat. total); EV sales 20.32% of Dublin’s figures
Co. Kildare = 5,194 sales (4.25% of nat. total); EV sales 24.22% of Kildare’s figures
Co. Laois = 1,362 sales (1.11% of nat. total); EV sales 15.71% of Laois’ figures
Co. Longford = 534 sales (0.44% of nat. total); EV sales 13.48% of Longford’s figures
Co. Louth = 2,649 sales (2.17% of nat. total); EV sales 17.18% of Louth’s figures
Co. Meath = 4,167 sales (3.41% of nat. total); EV sales 25.1% of Meath’s figures
Co. Offaly = 1,312 sales (1.07% of nat. total); EV sales 12.73% of Offaly’s figures
Co. Westmeath = 1,655 sales (1.35% of nat. total); EV sales 16.56% of Westmeath’s figures
Co. Wicklow = 2,780 sales (2.27% of nat. total); EV sales 32.52% of Wicklow’s figures

Understandably, in the counties clustered around Dublin – which itself accounted for nearly half of all new-car sales in Ireland in 2023 – the take-up of EVs and hybrids seems to be gathering pace faster than in the rest of the country. But the EV honours do not go to Dublin county; despite the fact a chunky 10,966 new pure EVs were registered in Dublin last year, outstripping diesel, petrol cars still easily led the way there with 30.28% market share.

Instead, it falls on Co. Wicklow to fly the EV flag for Ireland. It is the only county in the entire country where EV sales outstripped all other fuel types – 904 new electric cars were sold there in 2023, representing 30.28% market share, easily beating petrol, petrol-electric non-plug-in hybrids and diesel. Plug-in petrol hybrids only marked 180 sales, so it would seem the people of Wicklow are far more prepared to go all-in on electric power, rather than opting for the ‘safety net’ of a plug-in hybrid.

Indeed, four of the top ten best-selling models in Wicklow were pure EVs: the Tesla Model Y in second; the Volkswagen ID.4 in third, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in eighth and the MG4 in ninth. Also, both Tesla and MG featured on Wicklow’s list of most successful marques when neither carmaker are in Dublin’s top-ten list.

Tesla did find favour in Co. Kildare, though, ending up seventh on its list with 213 sales, the Model Y coming sixth on the model rundown. It wasn’t the top-selling EV in Kildare, however, as that honour went to the national champion, Volkswagen’s ID.4 – it shifted 172 units in 2023 in the location, representing 3.31% market share.

Most of the other counties in the area followed the national trend of petrol and diesel topping the sales charts, although both Co. Laois and Co. Longford saw diesel as their preferred fuel source – at least Laois had the ID.4 in eighth place and the Kia Niro (sold as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full EV) in ninth. In Co. Louth, buyers preferred petrol-hybrid power (non-plug-in) for their economical motoring, with 525 sales outperforming diesel.

After Co. Wicklow, Co. Meath seems to be adopting electrified vehicles to a greater degree than the national average. Some 1,046 EVs were registered there in 2023, only beaten by petrol, while petrol hybrids came in third. Diesels came in fourth.

WEST

Electric Cars Galway

Co. Galway = 4,813 sales (3.94% of nat. total); EV sales 17.2% of Galway’s figures
Co. Mayo = 2,057 sales (1.68% of nat. total); EV sales 12.01% of Mayo’s figures
Co. Roscommon = 1,141 sales (0.93% of nat. total); EV sales 10.78% of Wicklow’s figures

Lower-than-average take-up of full EVs is demonstrated in both Mayo and Roscommon, while both the latter county and Galway have diesel as their preferred form of motive power. That said, non-plug-in petrol hybrids beat petrol in Roscommon, while the Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV featured in seventh on Galway’s annual sales chart and tenth in Roscommon. In Mayo, nine out of ten of the best-selling models were vehicles with either hybrid or electric versions in their ranges, with only the Volkswagen T-Roc proving popular despite being sold as just a petrol or a diesel vehicle.

NORTH-WEST

Co. Cavan = 1,251 sales (1.02% of nat. total); EV sales 12.95% of Cavan’s figures
Co. Donegal = 2,577 sales (2.11% of nat. total); EV sales 11.84% of Donegal’s figures
Co. Leitrim = 449 sales (0.37% of nat. total); EV sales 12.92% of Leitrim’s figures
Co. Monaghan = 935 sales (0.76% of nat. total); EV sales 10.37% of Monaghan’s figures
Co. Sligo = 1,118 sales (0.91% of nat. total); EV sales 16.19% of Sligo’s figures

In all five north-west counties, petrol and diesel took the top two spots, with diesel actually triumphant in three of them – Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan. Petrol hybrids (non-plug-in) beat EVs in every county, too, although the Kia Niro was sixth in Donegal, while the Volkswagen ID.4 came in fifth in Sligo and eighth in Leitrim.

Interestingly, Monaghan completely bucked the national trends by having Spanish firm SEAT – perhaps the least electrified of the Volkswagen Group marques – as its preferred manufacturer, with the Ateca second in its best-selling models list, the Tarraco fourth and the Arona seventh. SEAT also featured in ninth on Sligo’s top ten list, with Mazda making a rare appearance in tenth.