Supply chaos stopping Irish car sale recovery, but electric vehicle sales rise

Car sales down 4.6% and remain nearly 22% behind pre-Covid levels. Last year saw an overall 19% rise in sales

Electric vehicle sales continue to rise in Ireland, doubling on a year-on-year basis last month.

Any significant recovery in new car sales in Ireland is unlikely to happen for the bulk of this year, with supply chain disruptions continuing to block growth, new figures show.

However, there continues to be a meaningful pick-up in sales of electric vehicles.

New figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show a 12.2% year-on-year drop - to just over 12,000 - in new car and vehicle registrations in February. 

This follows a 0.2% drop in January. SIMI said car sales are down 4.6% in the year to date and remain nearly 22% behind pre-Covid levels. Last year saw an overall 19% rise in sales.

“Despite strong demand for new and used cars, supply continues to be a major issue, with any potential recovery unlikely to happen until the second half of 2022 at the earliest,” said SIMI director general Brian Cooke.

Going electric

However, the improvement in electric vehicle sales in Ireland seen over the past number of months has continued with electric car sales doubling in February.

"There are now over 50,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads, and there is increasing consumer interest for these vehicles," said Mr Cooke. 

But, he said such numbers mean more government support for the rollout of improved car charging points is vital.

"As highlighted in the recently issued report on reducing light fleet carbon emissions, commissioned by SIMI, it is essential that our charging infrastructure keeps pace with this acceleration in the electrification of the Irish car fleet. In this context, ongoing support from Government in the charging network is vital if we are to convince more consumers that an electric vehicle is a viable choice of car for their driving needs," Mr Cooke said.

Galway, Kildare, Monaghan and Wicklow were the only counties to show a rise in new car sales in February.