EV sales up 23.7% during April with Irish Tesla sales remaining robust

During April, 1,343 new fully electric cars were registered — up 23.7% when compared to the same month last year. 

New registrations of electric cars increased by 23.7% in April, continuing a strong trend so far this year following a disappointing trend for the sector during 2024, data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (Simi) shows.

According to the data, overall new car registrations for April were up 1.9%, to 8,731, compared to April last year. Registrations in the year to the end of April are up 3.4% to 73,505.

Of those cars registered in April, some 1,343 were fully electric cars — up from the 1,086 recorded in the same month last year.

The top selling electric car during April was the Volkswagen ID.4, with 94 units sold; followed by the BYD Sealion, with 79 units sold; and the Skoda ELROQ, with 70 units sold. 

The Tesla Model Y stood in 20th place for new car registrations during the month.

Tesla sales across Europe have been falling significantly over the past few months given Elon Musk’s political actions in Europe and in the US. However, Tesla's sales figures in Ireland had been relatively robust in Ireland compared to other EU countries.

Tesla sales during April in Ireland were up, but from a low base, compared to the same period last year. In total, 30 Teslas were newly registered during the month — which includes 26 Model Y cars, up from just one registered in April last year, and four Model 3 cars, down from 17 last year.

New car registrations

In the first three months of the year, Tesla’s Model 3 massively outsold the Model Y in Ireland — 656 to 216.

In the four months to the end of April, 11,311 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 25.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The top selling electric car brands so far this year were Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai, Tesla, and BYD.

Brian Cooke, Simi director general, said electric car sales have increased in 25 counties during the first four months of the year, adding that "Simi welcomes minister Darragh O’Brien’s announcement on the regional and local EV charging network plan".

Such initiatives are vital to provide rural drivers with more confidence in electric cars

Petrol cars made up just under 28% of new registrations during the month, with diesel accounting for just under 17.5%. The remaining was a combination of petrol-electric hybrids, plug-in electric hybrids, and fully electric.

The top selling overall car brands so far this year were Toyota, Volkswagen, Skoda, Hyundai, and Kia. The best selling car model was the Hyundai Tucson.