Electric Car Momentum Grows as Drivers Rethink the Road Ahead
For many drivers, the electric car is no longer a distant option sitting at the edge of the market. It is becoming a more visible choice, and the latest figures suggest that shift is accelerating even as overall new car registrations cooled in March.
What stands out is not only the rise in battery electric vehicle registrations, but the way petrol and diesel continue to lose ground. The numbers point to a market where buyers are still cautious, yet increasingly willing to move toward electric power.
Why are more drivers choosing an electric car now?
The latest figures show that 3, 851 new electric cars were registered in March, a rise of 52. 1% compared with 2, 531 in March 2025. Over the first three months of the year, 14, 004 new electric cars were registered, up 40. 5% from 9, 964 in the same period last year.
That growth matters because it comes after a weaker period for the category. In 2024, registrations of EVs fell by 25%, amid falling government incentives, higher car prices and concerns over charging infrastructure. The new data suggests those pressures have not disappeared, but they are no longer stopping the market from moving in a different direction.
At the same time, the wider new car market softened. March new car registrations fell by 10. 4% to 15, 485, down from 17, 291 in March 2025. Yet the electric car share continued to rise, showing that demand is shifting within the market rather than simply disappearing.
What do the figures say about petrol and diesel?
The contrast with traditional engines is clear. In the first quarter of the year, petrol cars were down by 20% and diesel fell by 22% in the broader figures. In the March figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, new diesel car sales dropped by 37% and petrol sales fell by 38%.
That decline is reflected in market share too. The combined share of petrol and diesel cars licensed between January and March fell to 33%, down from 43% in 2025. In the new car market by engine type, hybrid cars led at 27. 36%, followed by electric at 21. 56%, petrol at 21. 24%, plug-in hybrid at 14. 41% and diesel at 12. 92%.
Brian Cooke, Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, said March showed a softening in demand after a strong start to the year, but added that battery electric registrations continued to grow. He said year-to-date BEV registrations reached 14, 004 units, and that the market share stood at 21. 5%, compared with 18. 9% for the full year 2025.
What does this shift mean for the market and for households?
The data also points to a practical household decision rather than just a policy story. Rising fuel prices have been influencing car choices, and that appears to be giving the electric car a stronger case with some motorists. The figures do not remove range concerns or infrastructure questions, but they show those concerns are not preventing growth in registrations.
There is also a broader change in how the market is balancing out. Imported used cars rose by 37. 7% in March to 7, 970, while light commercial vehicles increased by 13. 5% and heavy goods vehicles rose by 10. 2%. Against that mixed picture, the growth in electric registrations stands out as one of the clearest directional shifts in the data.
For drivers, the choice is increasingly framed by running costs, fuel prices and confidence in what comes next. For the market, the message is more immediate: the electric car is gaining ground even in a month when total new registrations fell.
Back at the start of the year, the road ahead looked uncertain. Now the numbers suggest a different scene, with more drivers making the turn toward electric power while the old fuel mix loses its grip.
