TESLA HAS BUCKED a wider European slowdown to emerge as the most popular new car brand in Ireland last month, as electric vehicle sales surged overall.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that Tesla was the top make of new private car licensed in December, with 175 registrations, ahead of Volkswagen (101), Toyota (60), Audi (55) and Skoda (52).

The data comes despite a broader slump for Tesla across Europe, where registrations fell sharply last year amid increased competition and political backlash against CEO Elon Musk.

Overall, the number of new private electric cars licensed in Ireland in 2025 rose by 36%, from just over 17,000 to more than 23,000. EVs now account for 19% of all new private cars, up from 15% the previous year.

While total new car registrations fell by 20% in December compared with the same month in 2024, electric vehicles continued to gain ground, alongside strong growth in plug-in hybrids.

The CSO said registrations of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles rose by 28% in December, with annual plug-in hybrid electric vehicle licensing up 65% year-on-year.

Tesla’s Irish performance contrasts with its struggles elsewhere in Europe, where registrations fell by 28% in the first 11 months of last year, according to industry figures, even as the wider market grew.

In Germany, Tesla’s sales volume nearly halved in December from the same month last year, and in the Netherlands, Tesla registrations fell 27% to 4,300 vehicles in December, leading to a 44% drop in 2025.

The sales slump has been blamed on heightened competition from Chinese manufacturers BYD, the loss of EV incentives in the US, and growing political controversy around Musk, who spent the first few months of 2025 working directly for US President Donald Trump.

In Ireland, however, Tesla has been bolstered by new entry-level pricing, trade-in incentives and plans to open a new sales and delivery centre on Dublin’s northside later this year.

The new Charlestown facility, located just off the M50 at Junction 5, a popular location for car dealerships, is expected to open in September.

The CSO data also shows a continued shift away from fossil fuels, with new petrol car registrations down 14% last year and diesel down 23%, while used car imports rose sharply.

Figures for the first days of 2026 indicate electric vehicles are now outselling petrol cars for the first time.