The number of new car sales in Laois rose by 21% in February of this year compared to the same period in 2023, according to figures released by the Society for the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).
A total of 196 new cars were recorded as sold in February compared to the 162 sold 12 months ago.
That 21% increase in Laois falls just short of the 25% increase seen nationally.
There were a total of 16,443 new cars sold in Ireland in February 2024, up from 13,122 sold in the same month last year.
This comes on the back of January sales figures that saw Laois car sales far outperform the national average.
January 2024 saw 456 new car sales in Laois, up almost 34% on January 2023’s 341.
Nationally, there was an increase of 15%, with a total of 31,427 sold in the first month of the year compared to 27,344 in January 2023.
There were 81 new Electric Vehicles (EVs) sold in Laois during the first two months of 2024, up over 37% from the same period last year, which saw 59 new sales.
This is in stark contrast to the national figure, where the 5,966 EVs sold is a reduction from 2023 of almost 1.5%
Diesel and petrol cars continue to dominate sales figures in Laois, with diesel accounting for 218 of the new sales so far this year, equating to 33.5% of total sales in the county.
191 new cars in Laois were petrol, equating to 29% of total sales.
The two are flipped nationally, with petrol cars remaining the most popular across the country, followed by diesel.
The big winner in Laois are Petrol-Electric Hybrids, which have risen drastically in popularity on the same period in 2023.
116 of the cars sold in Laois so far this year were Petrol-Electric Hybrids; this is an increase of over 63% on the same period in 2023 and accounts for 18% of all new cars sold in the county.
This is over double the national average, with just over 10,000 new Petrol-Electric Hybrids sold in Ireland so far this year, up 28%.
The big casualty amongst all the positive news are Diesel-Electric Hybrids, with on 12 sales in Laois so far this year – a dramatic fall of almost 65%.
The national figure is also way down, with just 651 new Diesel-Electric Hybrids sold, down more than 42% on the first two months of 2023.
Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General welcomed the increased sales figures, but tempered industry celebrations, saying:
“While EV sales can be viewed positively, the growth is slightly less than the overall increase in the new car market.
“This highlights the ongoing challenge as we move away from the early adapter stage into a more mainstream market.
“The Industry continues to supply a greater range of EVs with over 70 different EV models available for sale in Ireland.
“As we move forward, ongoing Government support in terms of incentives and charging infrastructure will play a vital role in ensuring the success of the next phase in the transition to electrification.”
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