New car sales increase 22% during slow November
The top selling car during November was also the top selling electric car — the Tesla Model 3.
New car registrations during November saw an increase of 22% compared to the same period last year, with even electric cars receiving a bump, new data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) shows.
November is often seen as a slow period for car sales as the new year and new licence plate number nears, but still 1,123 new cars were registered over the month, an increase from the 921 recorded in November 2023.
In comparison, 2,208 new cars were registered in October this year, while 5,137 were recorded in September.
In November, 516 new electric cars were registered, a 59.3% increase on the 324 registrations the same month last year.
According to SIMI, new car registrations so far this year are down 1% to 120,783 compared to the same period last year. So far this year, 17,168 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 24.2% decrease year-on-year.
Petrol cars continue to lead the new car market, accounting for just over 30% of the market, followed by diesel at 22.9%. Petrol-electric hybrid cars make up 21% of the market, while fully electric made up just over 14%.
Plug-in electric hybrid cars made up just over 10% of the new car market.
On the electric car market, SIMI director general Brian Cooke said: “Hopefully, we are starting to turn a corner for electric vehicles following a very challenging year.”
“With this in mind, the new programme for government must include increased support for the electric vehicle project, strong investment in incentives and in the charging infrastructure,” he said.
The top selling car during November was also the top selling electric car — the Tesla Model 3.
The top selling electric car so far this year is the Volkswagen 1D.4.
