New electric car registrations dropped by 21% in Laois last year

The number of new electric cars registered in Laois last year dropped by 21%, according to new figures from The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

There were  170 new electric vehicles registered in the county in 2024 which is down from 214 in 2023. Across the board there were 1,428 new cars registered in Laois in 2024 compared to 1,362 in 2023, a 5% increase. 

Nationally there were 121,195 new car registrations over the twelve months last year, a slight decrease of 1% compared to 2023 (122,400).  Across the country 17,459 new electric cars were registered in 2024, a decrease of 23.6% from the 22,852 registrations seen in 2023.

 The hatchback continues to remain Ireland’s top-selling car body type of 2024. While grey has retained the top-selling colour title for the ninth year running. 

Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General said: “The new car market in 2024 was in line with the previous year, with new car registrations finishing at 121,195 units, slightly behind 2023 (122,400 units). Commercial Vehicles Sales, underlining the growth in employment and activity across the Irish economy, were more positive with LCV registrations finishing 7% ahead of last year and HGVs up 8% on 2023. The key feature of the 2024 new car market was the decline in Electric Vehicle sales, a reduction of 24% compared to 2023. There has however been some tentative signs of a turnaround in EV sales towards the end of 2024, and the Industry is anticipating an increase in EV sales in 2025. The start of the new registration period, 251, this week, is an optimistic time for the Irish Motor Industry. With the variety of incentives and offers from retailers and manufacturers it is a good time for customers to shop for a new or used car.”