New car registrations rise 18.9% in first 10 months of year

The number of new cars registered in the Republic for the first 10 months of 2021 is up 18.9 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to figures compiled by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (Simi), with October registrations climbing strongly year-on-year.

New car registrations in October arrived at 2,646, up 15.2 per cent on October 2020 when a national lockdown came into effect to curb the spread of Covid-19. Registrations last month were also 21.4 per cent higher than they were in October 2019, Simi said.

Some 103,253 new cars have been registered in the year to date. Although this is higher than 2020’s figure for the same 10-month period, it remains 11.1 per cent lower than 2019 levels.

Some 522 new electric vehicles (EVs) were registered in October, more than double the EV registrations seen in the same month in 2020. For the first 10 months, 8,342 new electric cars have been registered, which is 115.7 per cent higher than the same period in 2020.

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"New car registrations for October were ahead of last year for both the month and for the year to date, although new car sales continue to remain behind pre-Covid levels," said Simi director-general Brian Cooke.

“With climate change at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it is hugely positive to see the year-on-year growth in the sales of both electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.”

A joint effort from the industry and the Government on this must continue if the State is to reach its decarbonisation targets, Mr Cooke said.

“The sudden removal of the grant incentive for plug-in electric vehicles, only serves to undermine consumer confidence in lower emitting technologies and this incentive should be reinstated for vehicles already committed to by both the industry and consumers.”

Current Government supports for EVs should be extended out until 2025, he added.

Market shares

Electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hybrids continue to increase their combined market share, which now stands at 31.52 per cent. Diesel now accounts for 33.63 per cent of the market, petrol for 32.16 per cent, hybrid at 16.14 per cent, plug-in electric hybrid at 7.3 per cent and electric at just 8.08 per cent.

Some 27,849 new light commercial vehicle registrations have been made so far this year, up 35.2 per cent on the same period in 2020. Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) registrations stand at 2,473 for the first 10 months, up 26.4 per cent year-on-year.

There were 4,401 used cars imported in October 2021, compared with 9,316 imports in October 2020, and 11,457 imports in October 2019. Year to date used imports stand at 55,538, down 5.1 per cent at 55,538 and 40.8 per cent on 2019.