ICE vehicle sales recover

Light vehicles with petrol engines took out more than half of the new market for the first time this year after accounting for 50.4 per cent of all registrations in May. 

It took the engine type’s year-to-date share of sales to 42.34 per cent and marks a recovery from February and March when they dropped to below 40 per cent.

The market share for diesel vehicles also climbed last month to 26.67 per cent from 15.61 in April when there was a rush on plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and petrol hybrid models following the introduction of the clean car discount.

A breakdown of figures from the Motor Industry Association (MIA) shows petrol hybrid registrations dropped over the same period from 22 per cent to 12.47 per cent, and PHEVs from 11.42 per to 5.74 per cent. 

It means for the first five months of the year, light vehicles with internal combustion engines made up 81.16 per cent of all registrations and 18.84 per cent had some form of electrification.

Surge for all-electric cars

A closer look at figures by the MIA for EVs alone, shows petrol hybrids accounted for 54.38 per cent of sales in May and 46.54 per cent for the year to date.

BEVs jumped from 14.92 per cent of the EV market in April, when the introduction of feebates saw consumers turn to other engine types, to 20.57 per cent last month. It has 31.3 per cent of registrations for the year so far.

Meanwhile, PHEVs took out 25.05 per cent in May, slightly above its year-to-date figure of 22.09 per cent.

The all-electric version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 almost doubled its monthly sales tally in May, with its 102 registrations up from 53 in April.

It made the model the best-selling battery-electric vehicle last month, ahead of the Polestar 2 on 77 and the Hyundai Kona on 65.

Year-to-date the placings change, with Kona leading the charge for the first five months of 2022 with 361 registrations, the Polestar 2 on 314 and the Ioniq 5 with 285.

May’s top sellers

(Year-to-date figures in brackets)

Electric passenger vehicles

Polestar 2 – 77 (314)
Nissan Leaf – 42 (177)
Peugeot 208 – 39 (93)
Kia EV6 – 37 (78)
Hyundai Ioniq – 27 (115)

Electric SUVs

Hyundai Ioniq 5 – 102 (285)
Hyundai Kona – 65 (361)
Kia EV6 – 43 (90)
BMW i – 27 (132)
MG ZS – 19 (235)

Electric light commercials

LDV E-Deliver 3 – 9 (74)
LDV E-Deliver 9 – 9 (14)
Renault Kangoo – 4 ( 7) 

PHEV passenger vehicles

Hyundai Ioniq – 31 (71)
Volkswagen T7 – 29 (29)
Skoda Superb – 10 (25)
Toyota Prius – 8 (8)

PHEV SUVs

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – 306 (1,219)
Mitsubishi Outlander – 207 (835)
MG HS – 69 (276)
Mini Countryman – 21 (63)
Kia Sorento – 15 (42)

Petrol hybrid passenger vehicles

Toyota Corolla – 217 (597)
Honda Jazz – 192 (986)
Hyundai Ioniq – 126 (360)
Toyota Yaris – 85 (419)
Suzuki Swift – 52 (190)

Petrol hybrid SUVs

Toyota RAV4 – 428 (1,298)
Toyota Highlander – 156 (437)
Toyota Yaris Cross – 80 (273)
Kia Niro – 65 (220)
Toyota C-HR – 41 (164)