DUBLIN, Ireland: Electrified vehicles, which include hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and fully electric vehicles (EVs), now make up almost two-thirds of all new car sales in Ireland, with EV registrations doubling in May.

Together, EVs, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids account for 65.7 percent of all new car registrations.

Overall, new car sales have risen by 4.7 percent compared to last year, with 83,038 cars registered in the first five months. May was especially strong, with sales up 38.6 percent to 10,087 registrations. This was partly driven by a sharp rise in EV sales, which doubled to 2,335 during the month, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

This strong performance in May comes just before the usually busy July registration period and the launch of the new 262 registration plate.

Hybrids remain the most popular choice among Irish buyers, making up 28 percent of registrations this year. EVs are now the second-largest category at 23 percent, ahead of petrol cars at 21.4 percent. Plug-in hybrids account for 14.7 percent of sales, while diesel has dropped to 12.9 percent.

Thanks to the popularity of hybrid vehicles, Toyota continues to be the top-selling car brand, with a 14 percent market share. It is followed by Volkswagen at 11.3 percent, Skoda at 9.85 percent, and Hyundai at 8.7 percent.

Toyota's Yaris Cross is the best-selling car model so far this year, with 2,738 registrations, followed by the Hyundai Tucson with 2,509.

Chinese car makers are gradually increasing their presence, but they still make up only 5.5 percent of the Irish new car market. This shows that established European, Japanese, and Korean brands still dominate.

Of the 19,050 EVs sold this year, Volkswagen leads with 2,464 units and holds the top-selling EV model, the ID.4. Hyundai is in second place with 2,168 registrations, just one ahead of Kia. Skoda ranks fourth with 1,463 EVs sold, followed by BYD with 1,363 EVs sold.

Unlike private buyers, the rental car market still relies heavily on petrol vehicles. Car rentals make up 11 percent of all new car registrations. Among the 9,245 rental vehicles registered this year, 47 percent are petrol, 28 percent are hybrids, and 18 percent are diesel. Only 31 EVs have been added to rental fleets so far this year.

In the commercial vehicle sector, registrations of light commercial vehicles such as vans and pick-ups have increased by 15 percent, reaching 20,410 units. Ford leads this segment with a 19.25 percent market share, followed by Volkswagen at 15.7 percent and Renault at 14.8 percent.

However, the truck (heavy goods vehicle) market has declined by 4.3 percent compared to last year, with 1,457 registrations recorded by the end of May.