Wicklow Leads Electric Vehicle Surge as National Car Sales Hit Record July

New figures reveal Wicklow motorists are going electric faster than almost anywhere else in the country.

According to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, one-thousand-and-seventy-nine new electric cars were registered in Wicklow so far this year — that's up 73% on the same period last year. 

Electric vehicles now make up almost 4% of Wicklow's entire new car market, up from just over 3% in 2025. 

Overall, new car registrations in Wicklow have climbed close to 10% year-to-date, outpacing several other counties and helping push national EV sales to a record month. 

Nationally, over 9,600 new electric cars were registered in July alone — the highest monthly total ever recorded in the state. 

SIMI Director General Brian Cooke says Government supports — including a new pilot scrappage scheme — are driving the surge, and he's calling for those incentives to be extended in next year's Budget. 

Cooke says the growth isn't confined to cities — rural buyers received the majority of scrappage grants nationwide, a trend reflected in Wicklow's own numbers, where electric car registrations have more than doubled since 2023. 

Across the country, electric vehicles overtook petrol and hybrid cars this month to become the single most popular engine type, /now accounting for just over a quarter of all new car sales. /

• Wicklow EV registrations YTD 2026: 1,079 (up 73.19% from 623 in 2025)
• Wicklow EV market share: 3.62% (2026) vs 3.36% (2025)
• Wicklow total new car registrations YTD: 2,745 (up 9.93%)
• Wicklow new car market share: 2.40% (2026) vs 2.30% (2025)
• National July EV registrations: 9,682 (up 98% YoY) — highest monthly total on record
• National EV market share: 26.12%, now the leading engine type