Hybrids are hot with buyers as new car sales grow 18%

Hybrids – both regular and plug-in – are proving popular with new car buyers as the lure of all-electric models loses some of its surge.

The new car market is up 18.3 per cent so far this year, with 47,882 new registrations to the end of February. Of these, 33 per cent were petrol, 24 per cent diesel, 23 per cent regular hybrid and a further 9 per cent plug-in hybrid.

Sales of electric vehicles are not keeping pace with the overall market growth, up just 1.4 per cent on the first two months of last year. The EV share of the new car sales has slipped from 14.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

This is despite a significant increase in the number of EVs registered by the distributors and dealers – rather than private or company car buyers. Of the 5,968 new EVs registered so far this year, 21 per cent were recorded as motor industry registrations rather than private customer sales.

According to Brian Cooke, director general of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), the slowing down in EV sales is not unique to Ireland and is reflective of other new car markets.

"It is typical of the life cycle in the adaption of any new technology, where there is a gap between early adapters and the early majority consumers," he said. "This is happening at a time when we need to accelerate the growth in EV sales. The electrification of the car fleet is strategically important. It will cut transport emissions and shape the future of the motor industry.

"To speed up the move to EVs in the wider motoring public, the industry and Government must keep working together. For the industry, this means the rolling out of more EV models. For Government, it means extending incentives and investing in the national charging infrastructure.”

Toyota is the best-selling new car brand in the overall market this year, benefitting from the popularity of hybrids. With 7,277 registrations, 95 per cent are regular hybrids.

Skoda is second with 5,259 registrations, followed by Hyundai with 5,032, Volkswagen with 4,659 and Kia with 3,292. The best-selling new car model is the Hyundai Tucson with 2,478, followed by Kia’s Sportage with 1,671 and Skoda’s Octavia with 1,644.

At the premium end of the market, Audi tops the list with 2,119 registrations, ahead of BMW with 1,462 and Mercedes-Benz with 1,241.

Volkswagen is the best-selling EV brand with 849 registrations, ahead of Hyundai with 825 and BYD with 575. The best-selling EV on the market is the Hyundai Kona with 470 registrations.

In the commercial vehicle market, sales of vans are up 35.6 per cent on last year to 10,987 at the end of February, while sales of HGVs are up 18.4 per cent, with 925 registrations.