The number of new hybrid or electric cars sold in Ireland continued to rise sharply in the first three months of 2021, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO says electric and hybrid vehicles combined made up almost one-third of new private cars licensed in the first quarter of 2021, compared with just under 19% in the same period in 2020.

The CSO figures show, however, that total sales of new cars in the first quarter were down by 11% compared with the same period last year.

PHEV sales double

Last year, new car sales recorded a drop of 26%.

The number of new electric cars licensed in the first quarter of 2021 grew by almost 55% — from 1,495 to 2,314.

Sales of new plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) cars more than doubled in the first three months of 2021, climbing to 2,292 compared with 947 a year earlier.

For March alone, 10,672 new cars were licensed, a slight increase of 4% on the same month last year. The number of used cars licensed was up 18% compared with March 2020, while new goods vehicles jumped by more than 40%.