1 January 2026
By Bryan McCarthy
bryan@TheCork.ie
Significant savings revealed for local motorists as new electric car registrations in Cork are up 45% year-on-year
New research reveals that battery electric car owners in Cork save an average of €1,180 per year on fuel, which is higher than any other county in Ireland.
In their Europe-wide study on the cost savings of refuelling versus recharging vehicles, researchers at SNAP, a digital solutions company specialising in international mobility, compared the mileage, energy consumption, and charging and fuel costs of vehicles across all Irish counties to identify where EV drivers can enjoy the greatest annual fuel savings.
Nationally, the average EV motorist in Ireland can expect to save around €1,300 per year on fuel through a combination of 80% home charging and 20% public charging, compared to what they would pay at the pump with petrol. That equates to savings of more than €3 per day, based on the average number of miles a passenger car travels in Ireland.
Although Cork motorists save more than €1,180 on fuel costs annually, these savings are below every county except Dublin. This is due, in part, to the lower mileage that the average Cork and Dublin motorist travels per year.
Ireland counties with the highest annual fuel savings from charging battery electric cars (Data valid as of Dec 2025)
1. Roscommon: €1,454 saved per year on fuel
2. Leitrim: €1,410
3. Longford: €1,395
=4. Cavan: €1,380
=4. Laois: €1,380
6. Offaly: €1,374
=7. Monaghan: €1,366
=7. Westmeath: €1,366
9. Tipperary: €1,359
10. Mayo: €1,329
[…]
25. Cork: €1,329
26. Dublin: €982
The significant savings available to Cork motorists who switch to electric cars also coincides with new EV registrations growing 45% year-on-year, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI). Between January and November this year, there were 2,286 new electric cars registered in the county, compared to 1,582 in the same time of 2024.
SNAP’s study acknowledges that the vast majority of privately owned electric cars are charged at home where it is more affordable and convenient. Public charging networks in Cork remain limited, with figures on the Electromaps app showing 142 publicly accessible charging stations, which is equivalent to 2.4 per 10,000 residents.
Matthew Bellamy, Managing Director at SNAP, says that their findings are a positive sign for more Irish motorists who are considering whether to transition to electric vehicles: “Our research clearly shows that drivers can enjoy substantial fuel savings from the very first year of ownership, in addition to the well-known environmental benefits of driving electric. These immediate savings help offset the higher upfront cost that many EV models still carry.”
Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council identifies transport as the country’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles accounting for 49% and 22% of transport-related emissions respectively in the most recent year of available data. The organisation says expanding the use of electric vehicles will play a key role in cutting emissions, helping to save an estimated 1.25 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2030.