The number of new electric cars registered in Galway this year is up more than a third compared with 2022.
There were 792 new electric cars registered in Galway between January and September 2023, an increase of 35% on the same period last year.
There were a total of 4,679 new car registrations of all kinds in Galway in the first nine months of this year, an 8% increase on 2022.
Nationwide, new car registrations in the year to date are up 16.5% (118,369) on the same period last year (101,587). However, they fell by just over 10% in September compared with the same month last year.
Imported Used Cars have seen a 0.1% (4,328) decrease in September 2023, when compared to September 2022 (4,333). Year to date imports are up 2.5% (38,339) on 2022 (37,417).
Battery Electric Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrids and Hybrids have now see their combined market share in the year to date increase to 45.19%.
Brian Cooke, Director of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, said that while the market has shown strong growth so far this year, declining figures in September are of concern.
“New electric vehicle registrations declined by nearly a fifth when compared to September 2022, and while some of this is due to changing supply chain dynamics, there is a fear that there could be a softening in EV growth.”
“As the demand curve for EVs is moving out of the early adopter phase, the next cohort of EV buyers will inevitably be more price conscious. With Budget 2024 only a week way, SIMI again calls on the Government to maintain EV incentives at current levels.”
SIMI is calling on the government to retain all EV incentives at their current level. These incentives include the 0% Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) thresholds, extending VRT relief, and maintaining the SEAI purchase grant relief.
“In addition, with the new car market still in recovery mode, there should be no taxation increases that would dampen new car demand, and at the same time more funding should be allocated to support the roll out of a reliable charging infrastructure.”
“Now more than ever is the time to invest in the electric vehicle project to ensure that the right measures are implemented to encourage behavioural change as quickly as possible.”
