Despite Tesla’s woes elsewhere, new figures show that the so-called “Musk effect” has yet to have an impact among Irish motorists.

Tesla has struggled in recent months, with sales plummeting to their lowest level in three years in Q1 2025.

Much of this has been blamed on CEO Elon Musk, whose political involvement and statements have triggered protests, leading to dealerships being vandalised across the world.

In March, around 20 vehicles were damaged at a Tesla dealership in Belfast, while Musk described a fire at a dealership in Rome in late March as “terrorism”. Showrooms and charging stations across the US have also been targeted in attacks ranging from general vandalism to arson.

But despite a negative shift in brand perception globally, Tesla recorded a 5% increase in sales in Ireland in Q1.

Industry figures show 872 Teslas were registered in the first three months of 2025, compared to 830 last year.

Of the Tesla cars sold so far this year, 75% were Model 3s, which was also the overall second best-selling electric car model in Ireland.

Tesla was the fourth best selling electric automaker in Ireland in the first 3 months of the year, with Elon Musk’s company dropping to one position compared to last year.

While sales haven’t plunged in Ireland like elsewhere, a closer look at the figures suggests the future might be more turbulent for the US manufacturer.

Tesla’s market share fell from 10.5% to 8.7% in Q1 2025 despite an overall increase in electric car sales, and Volkswagen and Kia both recorded huge sales increases.

Volkswagen retained its position as the most popular car brand among Irish EV drivers in Q1, recording a 43% increase in sales with a total of 1,554 registrations. One in ten new registrations in Ireland in Q1 were Volkswagen’s ID.4 – overtaking the Tesla’s Model 3 as Ireland’s most popular electric car.

Kia, the second best-selling EV manufacturer in Q1, saw a massive 124% increase in sales, with 1,430 new registrations.

The third most popular brand was Hyundai (874 registrations), despite its sales decreasing by 4.7% in Q1. Hyundai was one of three major car makers to record EV sales decreases, along with BYD (-36%) and MG (-30%).

The SIMI figures show sales of electric cars in Ireland were up by 26% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

There were 2,541 new registrations in March 2025, compared to 1,980 last year. However, it is still behind 2023 figures, when 3,412 new electric vehicles were sold in March.