Charting some of the changes in Ireland’s economic and social history to mark 50 years of Ireland in the EU.
Over the past five decades, the car industry in Ireland has undergone a significant transformation, embracing technological advancements, and adopting eco-friendly initiatives.
The oil crisis in the 1970s drove the demand for smaller, fuel-efficient cars, leading to the popularity of models from European manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Renault, and Fiat, and forcing other makers to follow their lead. The total number of cars licensed in 1972 was 62,603, compared with 101,349 in 2022. It should be noted that this 1972 figure is for both new cars licensed and registered, while the 2022 figure refers to new cars licensed only.
Vehicle safety standards improved. On 01 February 1979, Ireland introduced legislation that made the wearing of seat belts for front seat passengers and drivers compulsory. This was extended to rear seat passengers in 1992.
The 2000s marked the emergence of hybrid vehicles in Ireland. Manufacturers like Toyota and Honda introduced hybrid models that combined traditional internal combustion engines with electric motors, significantly reducing carbon emissions and improving fuel consumption. There has been a shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) in the last decade, with just 163 EVs sold in Ireland in 2012 compared with 15,462 in 2022. In the first six months of 2023, 27% of all new cars licensed were Plug-In Hybrid or EV. In June 2023 Tesla, which only supplies electric vehicles, became Ireland’s top selling car brand.
Another significant trend in the Irish car market has been the decline of European brands and the rise of Japanese and Korean car manufacturers. Toyota and Hyundai became Ireland’s top brands in 2022. Toyota was the most popular brand for new private cars licensed for the first time in 2022, while there was only one Toyota registered and licensed in Ireland in 1972. Two Porsches were registered and licensed for the first time in 1972, while in 2022, there were 376 new Porsches registered and licensed for the first time.
| Toyota | Volkswagen | Ford | Peugeot | Audi | Renault | Opel | Porsche | |
| 1972 | 1 | 6035 | 14129 | 624 | 932 | 4741 | 4117 | 2 |
| 2022 | 15318 | 11428 | 4863 | 4503 | 4113 | 4004 | 3071 | 168 |
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