NEW car sales in Limerick were up over six per cent during 2023.
Recently released figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) showed that 3,781 new cars were registered in the county in 2023, compared to 3,565 the previous year.
Sales of electric cars in the Treaty County saw an even larger increase marked by a 37.15 per cent jump compared to 2022.
2023 saw 587 new electric vehicles (EVs) registered in Limerick, compared to 428 the previous year.
Nationally, 121,850 new cars were registered last year, with overall sales of electric vehicles up 45 per cent.
The country’s favourite car brand was Toyota, followed by Volkswagen. Hyundai, Skoda, and Kia completed the top five.
The country’s most popular car model was the Hyundai Tuscon, the Kia Sportage, and the Toyota Corolla.
The Toyota Yaris Cross and the Volkswagen ID 4 rounded out the top five.
In terms of colours, the Irish public proved that grey was the most popular choice for the eighth year running, followed by black, and blue.
Brian Cooke, SIMI director general, said that an increase in EV sales would continue in 2024, if government support for them remained in place.
“2023 was a year of progress for the Irish motor industry, both in terms of new vehicle registrations and electric vehicle sales. New car registrations finished at 121,850 units, up 16 per cent on last year and four per cent ahead of pre-Covid 2019,” Mr Cooke said.
“The growth in electric vehicle sales continued into 2023, with an increase in market share from 15 per cent in 2022 to nearly 19 per cent in 2023. This represented a 45 per cent increase in EV sales for the year.
“We do expect to see some growth in EV sales again in 2024, but key to this will be the ongoing government support, both in terms of vehicle and taxation incentives and investment in a fit for purpose charging infrastructure.
“The mix in the new car market however, from electric to hybrid to more traditional engine types, highlights the diverse nature of Irish motorists’ driving requirements, and reducing the age of the national fleet, as well as moving to zero emission vehicles, will be vital if we want to get close to Ireland’s climate goals.”
“The commercial vehicle sector, both light and heavy vehicles, also delivered a solid performance in 2023. Light commercial vehicles finished 25 per cent ahead of last year and Heavy Goods Vehicles saw a 20 per cent increase on 2022,” Mr Cooke concluded.
