105,253 new cars were registered last year, up marginally on 2021, but down 10% on the pre-Covid levels recorded in 2019.
The figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) reveal that 15,678 electric vehicles were registered throughout 2022 – up over 80% on the previous year and 355% higher than 2019.
Petrol remained the most popular engine type for 2022, accounting for 30% of all cars registered – despite a decline in its market share last year.
Diesel accounted for 26% of new cars, while hybrid accounted for 19%, electric for 15% and plug in hybrid for just over 6%.
“Despite the re-opening of the economy and strong economic growth, 2022 was another challenging year for the Irish Motor Industry, with new car sales as well as commercial vehicles being impacted by supply constraints,” said Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General.
Looking forward to the new 231 registration period, Mr Cooke said retailers are reporting strong new car orders, which will also attract vital trade-ins for the used car market.
“Like the last two years, we again are expecting further growth in electric vehicles sales this year, however the extent of this growth will be determined not only by supply but also Government support in the EV project, both in terms of extending the current EV grant support and supporting investment in the national charging infrastructure,” he said.
“The combination of Government support and Industry investment is essential if we want to create an active used EV market in as short a timeframe as possible,” he added.
The figures from SIMI show that the top five selling car brands last year were Toyota, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia and Skoda.
The top five car models for 2022 were Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Corolla, Kia Sportage, Totota C-HR and Volkswagen ID.4.
