New Car Registrations: +3% in August 2026, Battery Electric +7%; Budget 2027 Now is the time to invest in incentives to drive change
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) today released its official 262 new vehicle registration statistics for August.
New car registrations for August were up 3% (7,811) compared to August 2025 (7,581). Registrations year to date are up 5% (121,979) on the same period last year (116,068).
Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) decreased by 10% (2,382) compared to August last year (2,651). Year to date, LCVs are up 7% (29,604). Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations experienced an increase of 9% (223) in comparison to August 2025 (205). Year to date, HGVs are down 1% (2,205).
Imported Used Cars have seen a 36% (8,093) increase in August 2026, when compared to August 2025 (5,963). Year to date imports are up 37% (63,815) on 2025 (46,661).
In August, 2,265 new electric cars (battery electric cars) were registered, which was a 7% increase from the 2,115 registrations in August 2025. So far this year, 32,079 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 55% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 20,642 electric cars were registered.
In the new car market share by engine type, Battery Electric cars lead market position with 26.3%, followed by Hybrid (Petrol Electric) 24.14%, Petrol 20.09%, Plug-In Hybrid 14.85%, and Diesel 12.56%.
Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General, commenting
“August new car registrations saw a 3% increase when compared to the same month last year, with 7,811 units registered. Year-to-date new car sales are 5% ahead of last year, with a total of 121,979 new cars registered. New battery electric car registrations increased by 7% when compared to August 2025, with 2,265 units sold, while year-to-date BEVs have reached 32,079 units, a 55% increase on the same period last year. The market shift towards battery electric vehicles is clearly evident, and it is crucial that the Government supports this trend with incentives that build on this momentum in what is still a developing market. Budget 2027 provides the Government with the opportunity to build on the success in BEV sales by extending and retaining the current incentives (the SEAI Grant, Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) relief, and 0% Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) threshold) that are vital in sustaining consumer confidence. This would enable more households and businesses to make the switch, while also supporting our climate change goals. Additional targeted measures like the scrappage scheme, investment in high-powered public charging infrastructure and a focus on the business sectors can also help increase our national fleet and our second-hand BEV market. Now is the time to invest in incentives to drive change.”
2026 Total New Vehicle Stats
• New Car sales total year to date (2026) 121,979 v (2025) 116,068 +5%
• New Car sales total August (2026) 7,811 v (2025) 7,581 +3%
• New Light Commercial Vehicle sales year to date (2026) 29,604 v (2025) 27,566 +7%
• New Light Commercial Vehicle sales total August (2026) 2,382 v (2025) 2,651 -10%
• New Heavy Goods Vehicle total sales year to date (2026) 2,205 v (2025) 2,235 -1%
• New Heavy Goods Vehicle total sales August (2026) 223 v (2025) 205 +9%
• New Buses/ Coaches sales year to date (2026) 457 v (2025) 340 +34%
• Used Car Imports total year to date (2026) 63,815 v (2025) 46,661 +37%
• Used Car Imports total August (2026) 8,093 v (2025) 5,963 +36%
• New Electric Vehicle sales total year to date (2026) 32,079 v (2025) 20,642 +55%
• New Electric Vehicle sales total August (2026) 2,265 v (2025) 2,115 +7%
• 5 Top Selling New Car Brands 2026 were: 1. TOYOTA, 2. VOLKSWAGEN, 3. SKODA, 4. HYUNDAI, 5. KIA
• 5 Top New Car Models 2026 were: 1. TOYOTA YARIS CROSS, 2. HYUNDAI TUCSON, 3. SKODA OCTAVIA, 4. KIA SPORTAGE, 5. SKODA KODIAQ
• 5 Top Selling New Electric Vehicles (EVs) Brands 2026: 1. 1. KIA, 2. VOLKSWAGEN, 3. HYUNDAI, 4. SKODA, 5. TESLA
• 5 Top Selling New Electric Vehicles (EVs) Models 2026: 1. VOLKSWAGEN ID.4, 2. TESLA MODEL Y, 3. SKODA ENYAQ, 4. SKODA ELROQ, 5. TOYOTA BZ4X
• Top Selling New Car (August) 2026: TOYOTA RAV 4
• Top Selling New Electric Car (August) 2026: VOLKSWAGEN ID.4
• Market share by engine type 2026: Electric 26.3%, Hybrid (Petrol Electric) 24.14%, Petrol 20.09%, Plug-In Hybrid 14.85%, Diesel 12.56%.
• Tables below show total new car registrations by county for August 2026 and total new electric car registrations by county for August 2026.
|
New Car Registrations by County 2026 |
|||||
|
County |
2026 |
2025 |
% Change |
2026 Share |
2025 Share |
|
Carlow |
1299 |
1287 |
0.93 |
1.06 |
1.11 |
|
Cavan |
1288 |
1171 |
9.99 |
1.06 |
1.01 |
|
Clare |
2603 |
2405 |
8.23 |
2.13 |
2.07 |
|
Cork |
14452 |
13350 |
8.25 |
11.85 |
11.5 |
|
Donegal |
2715 |
2622 |
3.55 |
2.23 |
2.26 |
|
Dublin |
49887 |
48909 |
2 |
40.9 |
42.14 |
|
Galway |
5178 |
4811 |
7.63 |
4.24 |
4.14 |
|
Kerry |
2643 |
2411 |
9.62 |
2.17 |
2.08 |
|
Kildare |
5878 |
5335 |
10.18 |
4.82 |
4.6 |
|
Kilkenny |
2005 |
1908 |
5.08 |
1.64 |
1.64 |
|
Laois |
1591 |
1469 |
8.3 |
1.3 |
1.27 |
|
Leitrim |
451 |
447 |
0.89 |
0.37 |
0.39 |
|
Limerick |
4096 |
3780 |
8.36 |
3.36 |
3.26 |
|
Longford |
539 |
528 |
2.08 |
0.44 |
0.45 |
|
Louth |
2887 |
2706 |
6.69 |
2.37 |
2.33 |
|
Mayo |
2201 |
2041 |
7.84 |
1.8 |
1.76 |
|
Meath |
4170 |
3947 |
5.65 |
3.42 |
3.4 |
|
Monaghan |
947 |
937 |
1.07 |
0.78 |
0.81 |
|
Offaly |
1346 |
1285 |
4.75 |
1.1 |
1.11 |
|
Roscommon |
1151 |
1037 |
10.99 |
0.94 |
0.89 |
|
Sligo |
1250 |
1115 |
12.11 |
1.02 |
0.96 |
|
Tipperary |
3032 |
2899 |
4.59 |
2.49 |
2.5 |
|
Waterford |
2629 |
2530 |
3.91 |
2.16 |
2.18 |
|
Westmeath |
1732 |
1636 |
5.87 |
1.42 |
1.41 |
|
Wexford |
3092 |
2804 |
10.27 |
2.53 |
2.42 |
|
Wicklow |
2917 |
2698 |
8.12 |
2.39 |
2.32 |
|
New Electric Car Registrations by County 2026 (January-August) |
|||||
|
County |
2026 |
2025 |
% Change |
2026 Share |
2025 Share |
|
Carlow |
361 |
180 |
100.56 |
1.13 |
0.87 |
|
Cavan |
246 |
120 |
105 |
0.77 |
0.58 |
|
Clare |
699 |
344 |
103.2 |
2.18 |
1.67 |
|
Cork |
3869 |
2013 |
92.2 |
12.06 |
9.75 |
|
Donegal |
516 |
320 |
61.25 |
1.61 |
1.55 |
|
Dublin |
12279 |
9605 |
27.84 |
38.28 |
46.53 |
|
Galway |
1235 |
692 |
78.47 |
3.85 |
3.35 |
|
Kerry |
677 |
379 |
78.63 |
2.11 |
1.84 |
|
Kildare |
2065 |
1260 |
63.89 |
6.44 |
6.1 |
|
Kilkenny |
553 |
282 |
96.1 |
1.72 |
1.37 |
|
Laois |
502 |
260 |
93.08 |
1.56 |
1.26 |
|
Leitrim |
74 |
42 |
76.19 |
0.23 |
0.2 |
|
Limerick |
1075 |
576 |
86.63 |
3.35 |
2.79 |
|
Longford |
121 |
61 |
98.36 |
0.38 |
0.3 |
|
Louth |
781 |
496 |
57.46 |
2.43 |
2.4 |
|
Mayo |
437 |
221 |
97.74 |
1.36 |
1.07 |
|
Meath |
1456 |
907 |
60.53 |
4.54 |
4.39 |
|
Monaghan |
196 |
114 |
71.93 |
0.61 |
0.55 |
|
Offaly |
316 |
164 |
92.68 |
0.99 |
0.79 |
|
Roscommon |
269 |
104 |
158.65 |
0.84 |
0.5 |
|
Sligo |
284 |
169 |
68.05 |
0.89 |
0.82 |
|
Tipperary |
768 |
409 |
87.78 |
2.39 |
1.98 |
|
Waterford |
710 |
423 |
67.85 |
2.21 |
2.05 |
|
Westmeath |
520 |
279 |
86.38 |
1.62 |
1.35 |
|
Wexford |
924 |
521 |
77.35 |
2.88 |
2.52 |
|
Wicklow |
1146 |
701 |
63.48 |
3.57 |
3.4 |
Visit https://stats.simi.ie/for full stats info