New car registrations in Mayo up almost 4.5% so far this year

From the start of the year until the end of May, new car registrations are up 4.49% on the same period last year.

In the first five months of the year, 1,419 cars have been registered in Mayo, compared to 1,358 in the same period of 2025.

In the country as a whole, registrations year to date are up 4.7% (83,038) on the same period last year (79,313), according to figures released today by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

Last month, new car registrations (8,068) were up 38.58% compared to May 2025 (5,822). Light commercial vehicles (LCV) registrations increased by 22.3% (2,324) compared to May last year (1,900), while heavy goods vehicle (HGV) registraions (265) rose by 28% in comparison to May 2025 (207).

Year to date, LCVs (20,410) are up 15% but HGVs (1,457) are down 4.3%.

Imported used cars have seen a 31.2% (7,808) rise in May 2026 when compared to May 2025 (5,948). Year to date, imports are up 38.2% (38,960) on 2025 (28,183).

In May, 2,335 new battery electric cars (BEVs) were registered, which was 115% higher than the 1,086 registrations in May 2025. So far this year, 19,050 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 53.82% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 12,385 electric cars were registered.

In the new car market share by engine type, hybrid (petrol-electric) continues to lead the market at 26.14% as the most popular engine type, followed by electric 22.94%, petrol 21.41%, plug-in hybrid 14.28% and diesel 12.94%.

Commenting on the newly released figures, SIMI operations director Emma Mitchell noted that consumers are driving the growth in BEV registrations, accounting for 77% so far this year, with incentives continuing to encourage the switch to electric vehicles.

“While BEV registrations are positive,” she continued, “we are now at a critical juncture to sustain the strong growth in a market that is not yet fully established. The government must capitalise on this momentum by maintaining and extending current incentives for consumers, and encourage more businesses to change to battery electric vehicles.”

The five top selling new car brands this year so far are Toyota, Volkswagen, Skoda, Hyundai and Kia. The five top selling new car models are Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Toyota Corolla and Skoda Kodiaq.