Nearly a third of people are planning to get an electric car or hybrid next, but significant barriers remain to large-scale EV adoption, according to the Carzone 2025 Motoring Report.

The report found that 32% of people are planning to go for an electric car, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid for their next car.

Hybrids remain the most popular alternative to fossil fuels across all age groups, with 17% of people planning to get a hybrid next, more than those who are considering getting a battery electric car.

Emer Barry, Programme Manager for Electric Vehicles and Demand Generation at the SEAI, said that there is good reason to be optimistic about the future of electric cars in Ireland.

“The sentiment from attendees at recent EV events has indicated a strong interest in EVs. With several new lower-cost models launched recently or soon to be available, we expect that this section of the market will respond positively.”

“As a wider offering becomes available, more households can consider an EV for their next car, whether it be a new or used EV.”

Sales of new electric cars have been strong so far this year, with sales figures for January to March up 25% compared to the same period last year.

High prices remain a challenge for electric cars’ prospects. Some 40% of people said that the cost of electric cars was a major issue stopping them from going electric.

Carzone also found that 49% of people are planning to buy a used car next, while only 28% intend to buy a new car for their next vehicle.

This is even pronounced among young people, with just 17% of people aged 17 – 24 planning to buy a new car, compared to 44% of respondents over the age of 65.

Other concerns raised about electric cars in the report include reliability (31%) and electricity prices (28%). 

Among rural respondents, 34% said that insufficient public charging infrastructure was a barrier to buying an EV, and 45% felt that they are too expensive.

There is a significant gap between urban and rural areas in how people charge electric cars. In rural areas, 93% of people do all of their charging at home and 7% at work.

Crucially, none of the respondents living in rural areas relied on public charging stations, while 11% of people living in urban areas do.

“As more public charging infrastructure becomes available, it will give confidence to those looking to purchase or who own an EV that they can charge on longer journeys,” Emer Barry said.

“It should be noted that the majority of EV charging is done at home, and new smart meter EV tariffs make this even more affordable.”

The Most Popular Electric Cars and Hybrids

Carzone’s report found that the Hyundai Kona was the most popular electric car model on their site last year, while the BMW 5-Series was the most popular hybrid.

Top 10 Most Popular Electric Cars & Hybrids in 2024