Soaring SUV sales in Ireland prompt calls from Green party for action

Two out of three new cars sold in Ireland in 2022 were SUVs, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Ireland’s Green party has called for measures to reduce the sale of sport utility vehicles after figures showed that two out of three cars sold in the country in 2022 were SUVs, 13 percentage points higher than the EU average.

Data provided to the Financial Times by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association showed that SUV sales as a percentage of all new cars sold were much higher in Ireland than in Spain, France, Italy and Germany.