Historic gear shift: Record January registrations signal a definitive shift in buyer behaviour as affordability and choice increase.
Ireland’s electric vehicle market has reached a pivotal moment, with battery-powered cars outselling petrol models for the first time on record.
New Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) figures show that 7,319 electric vehicles were registered in January 2026, surpassing the 7,245 petrol cars sold during the month and marking a near 49% rise in EV uptake compared with a year earlier.
“Government incentives, expanding EV model choices, and a greater range of price points are all helping consumers make the switch”
The milestone reflects what many in the sector describe as a structural shift in Irish motoring. Electrification, once viewed as a gradual transition, is now presenting itself as an immediate market reality.
Sparking a new era
SIMI said the surge highlights the speed with which consumer sentiment and industry dynamics are changing.
Ireland has seen electric cars overtake combustion categories before. EVs outsold diesel models for the first time in April 2023. That early crossover proved to be a harbinger of wider change and by 2025 electric vehicles accounted for 18.9% of full-year new car sales, overtaking diesel at 17.1%.
The latest monthly figures, however, demonstrate a step-change in scale. In the twenty-eight days of January alone Ireland registered more electric cars than in all of 2020, when just over four thousand units were sold nationwide.
The sharp increase has been propelled by factors that industry observers have been watching gather momentum for several years. Public charging continues to expand, while more drivers now have first-hand experience of electric ownership. Knowledge gaps around range and everyday use have narrowed.
Ireland charges ahead
Pricing has also shifted decisively. The arrival of family-sized electric cars in the twenty to thirty thousand euro bracket has eroded long-standing assumptions about affordability.
Several manufacturers now offer entry-level models below twenty thousand euro. This is due largely to falling battery and technology costs and has brought many electric models close to price parity with their combustion rivals. For a growing share of buyers, the decision is becoming less about economics and more about lifestyle, driving habits and access to home or workplace charging.
Competition in the market has intensified as new entrants challenge established brands. Chinese manufacturers MG, BYD, XPeng and Leapmotor have expanded rapidly, prompting more aggressive pricing and faster product cycles across the industry. Hyundai led January’s EV registrations, followed by Volkswagen and Kia. BYD and Renault rounded out the top five manufacturers. The Volkswagen ID.4 was the best-selling electric model, with strong performances from the Hyundai Inster, Kia EV3, Hyundai Kona Electric and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The year ahead is expected to bring further new model launches, suggesting the momentum witnessed in January may continue into the crucial spring and summer sales periods.
Shock result for January
Simon Andreucetti, managing director of Irish EV platform Nevo, described the figures as “hugely encouraging”, adding that the company’s RDS-based Electric Vehicle Show and nationwide driving events have given potential buyers valuable opportunities to experience electric cars first-hand.
“Once drivers experience EVs properly, the numbers tend to speak for themselves,” he said.
Derek Reilly, Nevo’s content and public relations director, said the trend shows that Irish motorists are “confident, informed and ready for change.”
He noted that electric cars overtaking combustion vehicles is “no longer symbolic”, adding that the company’s growing YouTube channel audience reflects a rising appetite for EV-related information and guidance.
Nevo is part of Drive Inc, an Irish mobility technology group founded in 2019 by Conor O’Boyle and Shane Ennis. Drive Inc also operates TradeBid, the country’s largest B2B automotive auction platform, as well as consumer-facing services InstaBid and Sweep. The company was acquired in 2024 by US-listed ACV Auctions, strengthening its technology and data capabilities in Dublin.
The January figures suggest Ireland has reached a meaningful inflection point. Rather than moving towards an electric future, the market now appears to be entering one.
Full voltage momentum
“2026 has started promisingly for the new car market. January, a key month for sales, saw 34,604 new cars registered, a 3% increase on the same month last year,” said Brian Cooke, director general of SIMI.
“The commercial sector experienced mixed results. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) saw an increase of 22% while Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations saw a decrease of 17% on January last year.
“Battery technology cars (BEV, PHEV, HEV) saw significant growth. Their market share accounted for nearly two-thirds of new car sales in January, with the combined market share of traditional petrol and diesel cars falling to 33%. Hybrid-electric vehicles are the most popular engine choice, taking the position as market leader for the first time.
“The momentum in Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) sales from last year has carried over into January 2026. BEV sales rose significantly in January with 7,319 units registered compared to 4,923 units last year, the highest monthly volume to date. Over one in five new cars registered in January were fully electric vehicles.”
Cooke said that private consumers accounted for 75% of BEV sales, an 11% increase on last year.
“Government incentives, expanding EV model choices, and a greater range of price points are all helping consumers make the switch. If we want this emerging market to continue to expand, focus on infrastructure and Government supports will be key.”
Top image: Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash
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