New car registrations for January were up 16% in Donegal this year, with 765 new 241-reg vehicles on the road.
There were 657 new car registrations in the first month of 2023.
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) reports that despite the growth nationwide, registrations remain 3% lower than pre-Covid levels in 2019.
Electric Vehicle (EV) sales seen continued growth, with a record breaking 4,109 new electric vehicles registered for the month of January when compared to 3,674 in January 2023 (+12%).
In terms of the new car market share in 2024, Petrol cars continue to dominate at 31.83%, with Hybrid (Petrol Electric) 23.95% surpassing, Diesel 21.77%, followed by Electric 13.06%, and Plug-in Electric Hybrid 6.96%.
Automatic transmissions account for (65.77%) of market share, while manual transmissions continue to see a decline (34.11%). The hatchback is Ireland’s top selling car body type of 2024.
Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General commented: “While EV sales can be viewed positively, the growth is slightly less than the overall increase in the new car market. This highlights the ongoing challenge as we move away from the early adapter stage into a more mainstream market. The Industry continues to supply a greater range of Electric Vehicles (EVs) with over 70 different EV models available for sale in Ireland. As we move forward, ongoing Government support in terms of incentives and charging infrastructure will play a vital role in ensuring the success of the next phase in the transition to electrification.”
