Ireland reached in September its target of having 195,000 electric vehicles on the road by the end of 2025.
The goal was part of the Irish Government’s Climate Action Plan, according to which it has also committed to having 30% of the national vehicle fleet be electric by 2030.
With that target in mind, the executive plans to further invest in charging infrastructure not only in the cities but also along rural routes.
“Hitting our first CAP target is proof that when the right supports, infrastructure and ambition are in place, Irish motorists respond,” Darragh O’Brien, Ireland’s Minister for Transport, said on Thursday.
The latest figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that 196,000 electric vehicles were circulating on the Irish roads as of the end of September.
According to Brian Cooke, SIMI’s Director General, the figures “would not have been possible without Government incentives supporting motorists to make this transition.”
Cooke also noted that the increase will also allow a “viable used EV market” in the near future.
Over the first nine months of 2025, 22,382 new electric vehicles were registered in Ireland, in a total of 121,692 cars.
Between January and September, 18.4% of new car registrations were fully electric, representing nearly one in every five units.
When it comes to new energy vehicle (NEV) makers in the country, BYD and Tesla lead registrations, placing 14th and 15th among all brands available in the island.
However, Tesla ranks above BYD when it comes to registrations of pure electric vehicles, as the Chinese giant also sells plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models.
Legacy automaker Volkswagen is the best-selling brand in the country when it comes to electric vehicles since the beginning of 2025.
The German brand sold 3,213 EVs so far this year, with 2,009 of them being its SUV model, the ID.4.
The Tesla Model 3 ranks second, representing 1,402 units registered from January through September.
The top 5 is completed with the Kia EV3 and EV6, and the Tesla Model Y.
