Sales of new cars are revving up, but still can’t speed past pre-Covid years

THE number of new cars registered last month surged, but they are still below pre-pandemic levels, figures show.

There were 10,045 new cars licensed for the first time in April compared

to 8,214 a year ago – an increase of 22%, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

In contrast, there were 13,794 first registered in April 2019, before Covid.

The number for April 2020, when the country was in its first lockdown, was just 1,338 new cars.

Society of the Irish Motor Industry boss Brian Cooke said that while overall registrations were upw they still remain

way behind that of 2019, adding that supply chain problems are hampering the industry.

He said: ‘The return to more normal, new car sales levels is being hampered in the short term by both supply chain issues and the uncertain global political climate.

‘Over the medium term both the high levels of vehicle taxation and the uncertainty over the continuation of electric vehicle supports has the potential to lead to the ongoing suppression of new vehicle demand. This will only make the ability to optimise the reduction in transport emissions more difficult.’

Nele van der Wielen, of the CSO, said sales of electric vehicles continue to be strong. He added: ‘The figures show the continued growth in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland. The number of new electric cars licensed has more than doubled from 3,026 in the first four months of 2021 to 6,748 in 2022.

‘At the same time the number of new diesel cars is decreasing. For the first four months of 2022, 13,340 new cars licensed were diesel cars compared with 17,400 in the same period in 2021.’