Huge drop in new car sales in Kilkenny, 100% rise in electric vehicle registrations

By COLIN BARTLEY

NEW car registrations in Kilkenny have plummeted in the first six months of the year, with only electric vehicles(EVs) bucking the trend, new figures reveal.

The rise of the green car in 2019 has seen an over 100% increase in sales of EVs and hybrids in Kilkenny.

Overall it has been a poor year for new car sales, a 10% decrease on the same period in 2018.

Sales in both diesel and petrol engine cars are down, with more and more people are choosing to import cars and re-register them in the county, up 6% on the same time last year.

Just 1,502 new car registrations were recorded in Kilkenny in the first six months of the year, a decrease of around 150 on the same time last year.

Donedeal’s Motor Industry Review report shows 1,954 EVs registered nationally in the first six months of the year. In 2018 just 1,233 were sold throughout the year.

Diesel engines remain the most popular new car engine type at 47% of all new cars, but sales of these types of vehicles have experienced the biggest drop.

Petrol engines are making a comeback and are rapidly closing the gap in popularity and could overtake diesel registration within 12 months.