Demand for regular model EVs, and not just the high-end ones, is up 97% overall in the same period, Donedeal says its data shows.

Second-hand EVs that are relatively young are the preference for Irish motorists because of the squeeze on supply chains that has led to delays in brand new cars being delivered, the car buying and selling website said.

It also found that the vast majority of EV owners remain committed once they have driven their first one. Some 70% of people who made the switch from petrol and diesel to electric plan to stick with electric for their next purchase, the Donedeal survey found.

Just under three quarters of EV drivers said it is cheaper to run the car compared to their previous petrol or diesel models. That applies not only to buyers of brand new EVs, but also those who bought second-hand, Donedeal claimed.

Nearly two thirds of those who bought an EV second-hand found it less expensive than their fossil fuel-powered car.

German giant Volkswagen’s ID4 was the most popular EV model in January, followed by South Korean firm Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, and the Volkswagen ID5. German luxury brand Audi’s e-tron and the Chinese-owned MG model MG4 rounded out the top five.

Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has consistently touted EVs as a major solution to Ireland’s emissions reduction plan. However, the high cost of second-hand cars is proving an obstacle to mass adaption, one of the country’s biggest experts in the field has warned.

Editor of IrishEVs.com, Tom Spencer, has repeatedly called for the Government to remove Vat and vehicle registration tax (VRT) from second-hand EV imports from the UK. Only measures such as these will ensure there are enough affordable EVs to meet the already significant demand, he said.