New diesel car sales have fallen by 17% in January, compared to the same time last year, now representing 57% of the new car market, according to reports by The Irish Times.
The much-maligned engine format has seen steady decline due to growing international backlash and political promises to ban them in the Republic by 2030.
Diesel now represents just on in five new car sales at Ireland’s most popular car manufacturer Toyota, according to its Ireland CEO Steve Tormey.
Overall, new car sales were down 4.8% to 37,125, while used car imports were up 20.3% year-on-year, to 9,061 cars.
Crucial Month
January is a crucial month for new car sales and traditionally represents over a quarter of total annual new car sales.
Hybrid cars enjoyed the largest growth during the same period, with sales up 73%, claiming a market share of 6.26%.
Meanwhile, petrol engine sales have increased, leading to a market share of 36%.
Electric Cars
Electric car sales have fallen from 168 in January 2016 to 104 this year, making up a mere 0.27% of the market. This comes despite new benefit-in-kind incentives unveiled in the Government’s Budget 2018 to promote electric cars.
However, this may be attributed in part to consumers holding off for the arrival of popular new models, such as the upcoming Nissan Leaf, which is due to arrive in the coming weeks.
Irish petrol and diesel costs have stayed largely the same in January, compared to the previous December, despite crude oil costs peaking at $70 in the first month of the new year.
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Kevin Duggan
