Electric and hybrid car sales surge ahead as diesel sales drop off

Electric and hybrid cars accounted for more than one fifth of all cars sold in the first quarter of the year as diesel sales fall, latest figures from the CSO show. 

The CSO publication shows that the number of new cars licensed for the first time in March 2022 was 11,872 compared with 10,672 in March 2021, a rise of 11%.

The sale of used cars has also dropped considerably, when compared with the same period in 2021. 

Commenting on the data, Nele van der Wielen, said: “Today’s figures from the CSO show the continued growth in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland.

"The number of new electric cars licensed has more than doubled from 2,314 in the first quarter of 2021 to 5,388 in 2022. At the same time the number of new diesel cars is decreasing. For the first quarter of 2022, 10,609 new cars licensed were diesel cars compared with 14,266 in the same period in 2021.”

"The number of used cars licensed in the first quarter of 2022 was 46% less than those licensed in the same period in 2021 (11,517 compared with 21,395)," Mr van der Wielen said.