Fewer people bought a new electric car last year than they did in 2023, new figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry have revealed. 

In total, 17,459 new EVs were registered in 2024, 23.6% fewer than the 22,852 registered the previous year. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, motoring expert Geraldine Herbert said the figures make clear that most people still prefer to drive a traditional internal combustion engine. 

“The petrol and diesel market share hasn’t shifted in two-years,” she said. 

“It’s stuck at 53% but what has moved is that the pure electric car share was over 18% in 2023; that fell to 14% in 2024. 

“That 4% difference was equally distributed between hybrid and plug in.”

An EV charging point with an electric car plugged in. Picture by: Geoff Smith / Alamy.

Although Government subsidies for EVs were cut in 2023, prices have fallen in recent years. 

Despite this, for many drivers EVs are still far too costly - even if they want to cut their carbon footprint. 

Instead, many are turning to hybrids and nearly 31% of all new cars sold in Ireland last year were hybrids or plug-in hybrids. 

“Where hybrids are really winning is affordability,” Ms Herbert said. 

“They’re seen as a more affordable compromise if you want to move away from petrol and diesel but don’t want to move to all electric. 

“They’re more practical for some people and the charging infrastructure is still an issue for people going completely EV. 

“But petrol and diesel, that core market of 53%, it’s interesting to see what will it take for them to move.” 

A woman charging an electric car at a charging point. Image: Cultura Creative RF / Alamy

In its 2021 Climate Action Plan, the Government set an ambitious target that 30% of all cars on Irish roads would be electric. 

However, according to UCC in 2024, only 5% of the 2.3 million cars in Ireland were EVs. 

In a statement to Newstalk, the Department of Transport said the drop in EV sales was "not unexpected or unique to Ireland". 

"However, with over 147,000 EVs registered on Irish roads at the end of November, we are on course to achieve our 2025 target," a spokesperson said. 

"With further improvements in technology and more brands and models entering the Irish market, offering more options and possibilities, we foresee more drivers choosing electric, as the industry continues to deliver a wider variety of EVs to suit all needs as we transition from the early adopter to the mainstream majority."

Main image: A electric car plugged in at charging point station. Picture by: Alamy.com