Latest news with #pluginhhybrid
Irish Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
EVs market share on verge of overtaking diesel cars
The market share of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid cars have continued to grow against combustion variants, making up nearly one third of all new cars in the first half of the year, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows. While the total number of new private cars licensed in the period rose 50 per cent overall from 5,259 in June 2025, against 3,499 in the same period in 2024, the biggest relative growth was seen in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles licensed. The plug-in hybrid category saw a rise of 110 per cent in June, from 290 the year prior to 609 this year. This rise helped to grow its market share from 9 per cent to 15 per cent in the first half of the year. EVs also saw their market share grow. CSO transport statistician Damien Lenihan, said the figures show a '38 per cent increase in the number of electric cars licensed for the first time in June 2025 (1,225) when compared with the same month in 2024 (886).' READ MORE The rise in EV car sales in the past month helped to grow its market share in the first half of the year to 17 per cent, from 14 per cent in the first six months of 2024. The combined share of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles grew, in the period, to 32 per cent of car sales. The share of new private petrol car licenses issued dropped from 33 per cent during the period of 2024, to 27 per cent, with diesel cars falling from 23 per cent of licenses to 17 per cent. This is the same percentage share of the market as EVs among new vehicles, though remained 337 licenses ahead in the underlying numbers. Volkswagen was the most popular new car brand in the country in June, accounting for 16 per cent of all car sales, followed by Skoda at 13 per cent, Hyundai at 10 per cent, Tesla and Toyota. Collectively, the five most popular brands made up more than half, 54 per cent, of all new private cars in June. Of new electric vehicles, Tesla offerings were the two of the three most popular models, the Model 3 made up 21 per cent of newly licensed vehicles, with the Model Y accounting for 15 per cent, followed by the Hyundai Inster (9 per cent). The total number of car licenses issues in June, which includes imported used cars, grew 16 per cent year on year in June, from 13,523 to 15,750. All new car registrations in the month, including private and goods vehicles, made up just over half of this number despite the strong used vehicle market.
Auto Car
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
BYD Denza B5: 677bhp hybrid Defender rival lands in UK
BYD is going after the Land Rover Defender in the UK with the new B5 – a premium plug-in hybrid 4x4 with competitive off-road stats and supercar levels of power. Launched in China last year as the Bao 5, the Defender 110 rival has made its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ahead of a showroom launch early next year. It is one of three models from BYD's new SUV sub-brand Fangchengbao, but will be badged Denza in the UK and positioned as a sibling to that premium brand's Z9 GT shooting brake - also headed to the UK. Denza was founded in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz but is wholly owned by the Chinese firm. The move to import the B5 confirms Autocar's previous report that BYD would launch its Fangchengbao cars here in a bid to diversify its powertrain offering and tap into new market segments. The company's president, Stella Li, told Autocar at last year's Festival of Speed that she predicted the SUVs "will be very popular in the UK". 'In the UK, the roads are narrow but we love these big SUV off-road cars, so Fangchengbao will be here,' she said, referencing the popularity of large premium SUVs in this market, a sector in which BYD has until now been absent. The company has not confirmed any specification details for the B5, but it is expected to be largely unchanged from the car in China, which uses a 'DMO Super-Hybrid Off-Road' ladder-frame platform and takes its power from a plug-in hybrid system centre around a 1.5-litre turbo engine with an electric motor on each axle. The system pumps out up to 677bhp and 561lb ft - more than any Defender, including the new V8 Octa.
