Mayo's new car registrations increase this year in line with the rest of the country

So far this year, the increase in new car registrations in Mayo, at 8.57%, mirrors that seen in the rest of the country.

Nationwide, new car registrations for March were down 16% (14,936) when compared to March 2023 (17,685) but year to date are up 8.0% (62,807) on the same period last year (58,151), according to official figures released today by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

In Mayo, 1,090 units have been registered to date in 2024, compared with 1,004 in the same period last year.

Throughout the country, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) increased by 31.7% (4,410) compared to March last year (3,348), and year to date LCVs are up 34.1% (15,356). Heavy goods vehicle (HGVs) registrations are up 28.2% (350) in comparison to March 2023 (273). Year to date, HGVs are up 15.0% (1,110).

Imported used cars have seen an 11.0% (5,216) rise in March 2024 when compared to March 2023 (4,698). Year to date, imports are up 24.2% (15,487) on 2023 (12,473).

In March, 2,009 new electric cars were registered, which was 41.1% lower than the 3,412 registrations in March 2023. So far this year, 7,971 new electric cars have been registered. That represents a 14.3% decrease compared to the same period in 2023, when 9,297 electric cars were registered.

In the new car market share by engine type for 2024, petrol cars lead the new car market at 33.37%, followed by diesel at 23.05%, then hybrid (petrol electric) at 21.33%, electric at 12.69%, and plug-in electric hybrid at 7.92%.

Brian Cooke, SIMI director general, commented: “While the new car market started strongly in the first two months of the year, March proved to be much more difficult. New car sales showed a 16% decrease on the same month last year, although sales for the first quarter remain 8% ahead of 2023. Sales of light and heavy commercial vehicles both show growth in registrations for March.”

Mr. Cooke added: “Sales across all fuel types in March were behind last year, with the electric vehicle segment seeing a notable decline. This highlights the ongoing challenge of transitioning to electrification as we move into the mainstream car market.

“The electrification of the fleet requires increased collaboration between all stakeholders to bridge this current chasm in the market. For the industry, this means investment and delivery of EV technology. For government, it means increased support in terms of extension of current incentives, including purchase grants and benefit-in-kind (BIK) relief for companies, and working with private enterprise to upgrade the national charging infrastructure to boost consumer confidence in making the switch to electric vehicles.”

The five top selling new car brands so far in 2024 are: Toyota, Skoda, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia. The five top selling new car model to date this year are: Hyundai Tucson, Skoda Octavia, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Yaris Cross.

Zoë Bradley, head of marketing, communications and corporate affairs with sales leader Toyota Ireland, said: “It’s a fantastic achievement to close out the quarter as Ireland’s best-selling car brand for the fourth year in a row. Despite the continued popularity and familiarity of diesel which impacts the move to electrified driving, we’re seeing increasing demand from Irish motorists for a more environmentally friendly car choice like hybrid vehicles, which immediately reduce CO2 and NOX emissions compared to diesel or petrol models without compromising on power and performance.”