Kildare Sees 45 Per Cent Increase In Electric Car Vehicles In First Three Months Of 2026

Wednesday, 1 April 2026 14:16

By Hannah Kelly

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

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

The figures show new car registrations dropped to 15,485 last month, compared to 17,291 in March 2025.

New electric cars saw a 52.1 per cent increase, with 3,851 registered this month compared to 2,531 registered this time last year.

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 Kildare, there were 3,086 new car registrations between January-March in 2026, a 7.23 per cent compared to the year previous.

As for new electric car registrations in the county, there were 888 between January-March 2026, an increase of 45.81 per cent compared to the same months in 2025.

Registrations year to date are up 0.28 per cent (64,967) on the same period last year (64,784).

Commenting on the figures, SIMI Director General Brian Cooke said:

"Following a strong start to new car sales in the first two months of the year, March new car registrations indicate a softening in demand, with a decline of 10% when compared to the same month last year.

"The commercial sector saw a positive uptake in registrations for March. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) increased by 13 per cent, and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) experienced their first month of growth this year, with a 10 per cent increase on March last year.”