Petrol car popularity continues decline in Louth

The fall in popularity of petrol cars in Louth continues, with petrol electric hybrids remaining the most popular type of car in the county at present, according to the latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

SIMI released its official 261 new vehicle registration statistics for March, which show that 321 new cars were registered in Louth in March, down 10.34% on the same time last year. For the year to date however, 1,592 new cars have been registered in the county, up 4.67% on the first three months of last year.

Petrol electric hybrids remain the most popular type of car so far this year in Louth, with 473 cars registered, up 10.26% on the same period last year.

Petrol cars are the second most popular type of car in Louth, but their popularity is falling, with 398 cars registered so far in 2025, down 14% on the same period last year.

Electric cars continue to rise in popularity, with 339 new cars registered in the first three months of this year, a 38.4% increase on the same period last year.

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Petrol/plug-in electric hybrids are fourth most popular type car, with 186 new cars registered so far this year, up 21.6% on last year.

Diesel cars round out the top five most popular type of car in Louth, their popularity continues to fall however, with 165 cars registered so far in 2025, down 26% on the same period last year.

Nationally, new car registrations for March were down 10.4%, or 15,485 units, compared to March 2025 when 17,291 were registered. Registrations year to date are up 0.28% (64,967 units) on the same period last year (64,784 units).

Imported Used Cars have seen a 37.7% (7,970) rise in March 2026, when compared to March 2025 (5,787). Year to date imports are up 39.2% (23,646) on 2025 (16,987).

In March 3,851 new electric cars (battery electric cars) were registered, which was 52.1% higher than the 2,531 registrations in March 2025. So far this year, 14,004 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 40.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 9,964 electric cars were registered.

In the new car market share by engine type, Hybrid (Petrol Electric) continues to lead as the most popular engine type at 27.36%, followed by Electric 21.56%, Petrol 21.24%, Plug-In Hybrid 14.41%, and Diesel 12.92%. 

Commenting on the latest figures, Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General, said: “Following a strong start to new car sales in the first two months of the year, March new car registrations indicate a softening in demand, with a decline of 10% when compared to the same month last year.

"New car sales for the first quarter of the year are now marginally ahead of Q1 in 2025, with a total of 64,967 new cars registered. Despite the slowdown in March, new battery electric car registrations continue to grow, with 3,851 units registered.

"Year-to-date BEV registrations reached 14,004 units, which is a 40.5% increase on the same period last year. A better guide perhaps is that the BEV market share stands at 21.5%, compared to 18.9% for the full year 2025.

"The strong growth in EV registrations has been reflected across all counties. In addition, new car registrations in Q1 have seen continued growth for Hybrid electric (HEV) and Plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV), while traditional Petrol and Diesel cars continue to see a decline, with their combined market share now just 34% of the new car market. 

The commercial sector saw a positive uptake in registrations for March. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) increased by 13%, and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) experienced their first month of growth this year, with a 10% increase on March last year.”