Carlow shows strong EV growth
An electric vehicle charging station at Skelton Lake Service Station in Leeds. The automotive industry issued renewed pleas for electric car purchase incentives after new figures showed a decline in the vehicles' market share. Picture date: Thursday April 4, 2024.
Carlow recorded solid growth in electric vehicle adoption, with new registrations jumping 50% in the first seven months of 2025 compared with the same period last year, contributing to Ireland’s achievement of exceeding its national electric vehicle targets.
The latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), released last week, show that 167 new electric cars were registered in Carlow from January to July 2025, up from 111 in the same period of 2024. While this growth rate exceeds the national average of 34%, several counties recorded even stronger performances, with Tipperary leading at 119% growth.
The strong local performance contributes to a landmark achievement nationally, with Ireland surpassing its 2025 electric vehicle target of 175,000 combined battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles as outlined in the government’s Climate Action Plan.
Nationally, electric car registrations surged 57% in July alone, with 4,913 new battery electric vehicles registered compared with 3,129 in July 2024. Year-to-date figures show 18,542 new electric cars registered, representing a 34% increase on 2024’s 13,866 registrations.
“New battery-electric car registrations increased by 57% when compared to July 2024, and year to date they have reached 18,542, a 34% increase on the same period last year,” said Brian Cooke, SIMI director general. “Notably, this means that we have surpassed the 175,000 EV target for 2025 contained in the government’s Climate Action Plan.” Carlow’s electric vehicle market share now stands at 0.90% of the national total, up from 0.80% in 2024, reflecting the county’s modestly growing adoption of EVs.
The county’s performance reflects broader growth across rural Ireland, where several counties recorded even higher growth rates. Tipperary led all counties with 119% growth, followed by Monaghan at 86%, Sligo at 81%, and Kerry at 80%.
Dublin continues to dominate in absolute numbers with 8,620 new electric vehicle registrations, accounting for 46% of all national EV sales, though this represents a decline in market share from 51% in 2024.
