Battery Electric Vehicles up 52% for March

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) issued its official 261 new vehicle registration statistics for March.

New car registrations for March were down 10.4% compared to March 2025. Registrations year to date are up 0.28% on the same period last year.
Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) increased by 13.5% compared to March last year. Year to date, LCVs are up 17.5%. Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) registrations are up 10.2% in comparison to March 2025. Year to date, HGVs are down 6.5%.
Imported Used Cars have seen a 37.7% rise in March 2026, when compared to March 2025. Year to date imports are up 39.2% on 2025.
In March 3,851 new electric cars (battery electric cars) were registered, which was 52.1% higher than the 2,531 registrations in March 2025. So far this year, 14,004 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 40.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 9,964 electric cars were registered.
In the new car market share by engine type, Hybrid (Petrol Electric) continues to lead as the most popular engine type at 27.36%, followed by Electric 21.56%, Petrol 21.24%, Plug-In Hybrid 14.41%, and Diesel 12.92%.
The top selling new electric car in March was Tesla Model 3.

“Rising costs in Ireland are affecting every home” Mayor

Mayor of Killarney Cllr Martin Grady, joined demonstrators in Killarney on Sunday, where he expressed his support for the community while acknowledging the growing financial pressures facing households across Ireland.

“I want to sincerely thank the protesters for keeping the demonstration peaceful and respectful,” he said. “I also commend An Garda Síochána for their assistance in ensuring traffic management and public safety throughout the event.”

Cllr Grady highlighted that the ongoing fuel crisis and rising cost of living are no longer abstract concerns, but daily realities for families in Killarney, across Kerry, and throughout the country.

“This is impacting everyone, from young families trying to make a start in life while having a serious impact on hauliers, fishermen, and farmers which will have knock on effects on groceries and building materials. It affects parents commuting to work, families dropping children to school, and individuals simply trying to manage everyday expenses.”

While acknowledging that measures have been introduced at national level, he stressed that they are falling short of what is needed.

“Measures have been taken, but they are not enough. If people were seeing clear benefits through improved services, housing, and healthcare, there would be greater acceptance. People need to feel they are getting real value for the taxes they pay.”

He pointed to Ireland’s position as one of the highest-taxing countries in Europe in terms of carbon taxation.

“Ireland now has one of the highest and fastest-rising carbon taxes in Europe, currently reaching €71 per tonne of CO₂, with plans to increase to €100 per tonne by 2030. This places us among the highest in Europe, second only to countries such as Sweden and Switzerland.”

Cllr. Grady also raised concerns about the burden of electricity costs on Irish households.

“Ireland continues to have some of the highest residential electricity costs in the EU, often ranking alongside Germany and Denmark. Irish households are paying between 30% and 48% more than the EU average, amounting to hundreds of euro extra per year.”

“The people of Ireland deserve fairness. They deserve to see that the taxes they are paying are being reinvested in a way that supports their daily lives. Right now, too many families feel the pressure without seeing the return.”