Petrol cars continue to plummet in popularity in Louth
Petrol cars are plummeting in popularity in Louth while petrol electric hybrids and electric vehicles become the most popular, latest SIMI figures show
Petrol electric hybrids are now the most popular type of new car in Louth, with petrol cars falling to third most popular, the latest figures from t he Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show.
SIMI today released its official 261 new vehicle registration statistics for May, which show that 147 new cars were registered in Louth in May, down from 195 in April but up from 101 in May of last year.
1,932 have been registered in Louth in total so far this year, up from 1,793 during the same period last year.
Of the new cars registered in Louth this year, petrol electric hybrids are the most popular, with 570 registered, up from 488 during the first five months of 2025.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are now the second most popular type of car in Louth, with 462 registered, up massively on the 293 registered in Louth during the first five months of last year.
Petrol cars have fallen to third most popular type of car in Louth, with 458 registered so far in 2026, down from 534 during the same period last year.
Petrol/plug-in electric hybrid cars are fourth most popular in Louth, with the 220 registered so far this year in the county, up from 202 during the same period last year.
Diesel cars round out the top five most popular type of cars in Louth, with 187 registered during the first five months of this year, down significantly on the 262 registered during the same period in 2025 in Louth.
Nationally, new car registrations for May were up 38.58%, or 8,068 cars, compared to May 2025 when 5,822 were registered. Registrations year to date are up 4.7% (83,038 cars) on the same period last year (79,313 cars).
Imported Used Cars have seen a 31.2% (7,808) rise in May 2026, when compared to May 2025 (5,948). Year to date imports are up 38.2% (38,960) on 2025 (28,183).
In May 2,335 new electric cars (battery electric cars) were registered, which was 115% higher than the 1,086 registrations in May 2025.
So far this year, 19,050 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 53.82% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 12,385 electric cars were registered.
In the new car market share by engine type, Hybrid (Petrol Electric) continues to lead the market at 26.14% as the most popular engine type, followed by Electric 22.94%, Petrol 21.41%, Plug-In Hybrid 14.28%, and Diesel 12.94%.
Commenting on the latest figures, Emma Mitchell, Operations Director SIMI, said: “May’s new car registrations saw a 39% increase when compared to the same month last year, with 8,068 units registered.
“Year-to-date new car sales are 4.7% ahead of last year, with a total of 83,038 new cars registered. New Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) registrations continue to experience strong growth across all counties, with 2,335 units registered in May, up from 1,086 units in May of last year.
“Notably, consumers are driving this growth, accounting for 77% of BEV registrations so far this year, with incentives continuing to encourage the switch to electric vehicles. Year-to-date BEV registrations reached 19,050 units, representing a 23% market share.
“While BEV registrations are positive, we are now at a critical juncture to sustain the strong growth in a market that is not yet fully established.
“The government must capitalise on this momentum by maintaining and extending current incentives for consumers, and encourage more businesses to change to Battery Electric Vehicles.”