ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE becoming an increasingly popular choice for drivers across Ireland, and searches for these types of cars show there’s more curiosity about making the switch.

But it’s Dublin’s commuter belt – Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, and Laois – that are choosing these vehicles. Electric is now the best-selling fuel car type in these four counties, according to new data by DoneDeal Cars.

It’s the fuel type that has also seen the largest jump by some margin in new registrations this year compared to 2025.

Electric car registrations are up 54% from January to May compared to the same period last year. The next most popular, petrol hybrid, increased by 17%. Petrol and diesel both slumped, the former by 18% and the latter by 22%.

There have been many theories surrounding why EVs are experiencing a surge in popularity, but ultimately the most prevalent is an increase in availability, more purchase options (like second-hand EVs), and increased fuel costs at the pump.

It has also been said as these types of cars become more mainstream, there is more comfort for consumers to make the switch.

EVs are not reaching other parts of Ireland, however. DoneDeal Cars’s Paddy Comyn noted that the west, north-west, and border counties are seeing the lowest registrations of electric cars.

Diesel outsells electric in five counties: Leitrim, Mayo, Monaghan, Cavan, and Roscommon. 

In slightly more surprising news, petrol is the best-selling fuel type in Dublin so far this year – despite the county accounting for 41% of all new EV registrations nationally.

“The county data tells us the transition isn’t happening evenly,” Comyn said.

“Kildare and Meath have crossed the tipping point. The opportunity now is to bring the rest of the country along.”

The increase in electric cars available offers buyers across the country more choice than ever before, he added. 

As well as more natural reasons for the increase in interest in these cars are government schemes designed to push EVs as an option for buyers. On Wednesday, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien announced there will be a €5,000 scrappage grant for drivers if they get rid of a vehicle over 13 years old and replace it with an EV.

O’Brien confirmed that €10 million has been put aside for a pilot, which opens on 1 July.

The €5,000 grant is in addition to the existing €3,500 EV purchase grant run by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which drivers can already avail of.

It will only be available on fully electric vehicles – so no hybrids – and does not apply to second-hand cars.

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It means the total support for people switching to an electric vehicle will soon reach up to €8,500 per vehicle.

The new scheme will ringfence 65% of the funding, or €6.5 million, for people outside of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

The remaining 35% will be available to drivers within those five cities.

This means there will be money for 2,000 applications when the pilot opens from 1 July.

Electric may be having its moment on the Dublin commuter belt, but petrol hybrid cars remain the most popular vehicle choice in 20 of 26 counties.

The fuel type now accounts for 26.1% of all new car registrations.