SALES of new electric cars in Clare have more than doubled from January to July in comparison to the same period in 2025.
According to new figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), 658 new EVs were registered in Clare for the first six months of 2026 compared to 310 during January to July 2025.
Sales of new combustion engine cars in Clare rose by 7.69% at 2436 in comparison to 2262 in the first half of 2025.
Nationally, new car registrations for July were up 8.63% (29,046) compared to July 2025 (26,738). Registrations year to date are up 5.2% (114,228) on the same period last year (108,487).
The SIMI further stated that “In July 9,682 new electric cars (battery electric cars) were registered, which was a 98% increase from the 4,898 registrations in July 2025. So far this year, 29,840 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 61% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 18,527 electric cars were registered”.
Battery Electric cars achieved the lead market position for the first time this year with 26.12%, followed by Hybrid (Petrol Electric) 24.59%, Petrol 20.39%, Plug-In Hybrid 14.45%, and Diesel 12.45% in terms of new car market share by engine type.
General Manager of Sheils’ Motor Group Ennis, Eddie Rynne, says the figures make for happy reading. “It’s really positive and pleasing to see such a huge increase, especially in the EV sector. We see it day-to-day with customers coming through the door; most people now ask, “What have you got in EV?””.
Public opinion has swung in favour of EVs in Clare with more and more consumers seeing the vehicles in a more positive light, says Rynne. “I would put it down to people seeing that these vehicles are now much better, more reliable, and much cheaper to run. Batteries have gotten much bigger compared to where they were five years ago. People used to worry about infrastructure, but when you have a car doing 500 km plus on a full charge, people realise they can just charge it at home for their weekly driving”, Rynne explains.
While the increase in registrations is hugely positive, there is still huge room for improvement in public charging infrastructure in Clare. “The real increase we see is with people charging at home, often installing solar panels and becoming more structured with their driving habits. The average driving distance is about 330 to 350 km per week. If they buy a vehicle that does 500 to 560 km on a full charge, they realise they can just charge it at home every Saturday night or so”, Rynne adds.
