The Society of the Irish Motor Industry has released its official 261 registration statistics for February, showing continued momentum in the Irish new vehicle market. New car registrations for February rose by 7.4 per cent to 15,033 units, compared to 13,994 in February 2025. Year to date, registrations are up 4.3 per cent, with 49,557 new cars registered compared to 47,493 during the same period last year.
The light commercial vehicle sector also recorded strong growth, with February registrations increasing by 15 per cent to 3,635 units, up from 3,160 in February 2025. On a year-to-date basis, LCV registrations are ahead by 19.3 per cent, reaching 11,201 units. In contrast, heavy goods vehicle registrations declined slightly, down 4.8 per cent in February to 277 units, compared to 291 in the same month last year. Year to date, HGV registrations are 12.1 per cent lower at 669 units.
Imported used cars continue to see significant growth. February imports increased by 36.5 per cent to 7,639 vehicles, compared to 5,596 in February 2025. So far this year, 15,679 imported used cars have been registered, a 40 per cent increase on the 11,200 recorded at the same point last year. Electric vehicle sales remain a key driver of growth. A total of 2,871 new battery electric vehicles were registered in February, representing a 14.4 per cent increase on the 2,510 units registered in February 2025. Year to date, 10,172 new electric cars have been registered, up 36.9 per cent on the 7,433 recorded during the same period last year.
By engine type, hybrids continue to lead the market, accounting for 27.26 per cent of new car registrations. Petrol follows at 21.84 per cent, with electric vehicles close behind at 20.53 per cent. Plug-in hybrids represent 14.51 per cent of the market, while diesel accounts for 13.27 per cent. Combined, battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles now make up more than 62 per cent of all new car registrations.
Commenting on the figures, SIMI Director General Brian Cooke said “The positive start to the year has carried through into February, with solid growth in both new car and light commercial vehicle registrations. He noted that the continued shift towards electric and hybrid vehicles is clearly reflected in the data, with private consumers accounting for 75 per cent of BEV sales nationwide. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models also continue to record steady growth.
Cooke added that while the passenger car and LCV sectors are performing strongly, the heavy goods vehicle market remains under some pressure.”
In terms of brand performance, the top five new car brands so far in 2026 are Toyota, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Skoda and Kia. The best-selling new car models are the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Yaris Cross, Kia Sportage, Toyota Corolla Cross and Hyundai Kona. Within the electric vehicle segment, Hyundai leads the EV brand rankings, followed by Volkswagen, Kia, BYD and Renault. The top-selling electric models to date are the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Inster, Kia EV3, Hyundai Kona and Toyota bZ4X.
