Carlow is No1 when it comes to new car sales

NEW car registrations in Carlow surpassed those of every other county in February, with a year-on-year increase of more than 11%. Recent figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) reveal that new vehicle registrations show Carlow as the top county for new car registrations in Ireland.

Car registrations were down nationally by 15% in February, compared with the same month last year, a decrease of more than 2,400.

Electric cars were a different story, with a national increase of 36% in new EV registrations in February 2025, compared with 2024. Registrations for EVs in Carlow were 77% higher, with 80 electric cars registered in the county, compared with 45 the year before.

So far this year, 7,447 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 25.1% increase, compared with the same period in 2024, when 5,949 EVs were registered.

SIMI director general Brian Cooke said: “Following a strong start in January, new car registrations have seen some retraction in February, with registrations declining by 15%, while year-to-date registrations are now marginally behind last year.

“However, going against this trend has been electric vehicles, with an increase in EV sales of 36% in February to 2,524 units with private consumers, who benefit from the SEAI grant, contributing two-thirds of EV sales this year.

“The importance of government supports is key to maintaining this momentum, particularly with a greater range of EVs coming on stream. Commercial vehicle registrations have seen a decline with LCV sales, which had been down in January, also down by 8% in February, and HGV registrations down 3%.”