More motorists go green but grey still colour of choice

While more and more motorists are making the so-called ‘green’ switch to electric vehicles, drivers remain attached to monochrome cars.

In Ireland, grey has topped the new car colour chart for the eight year in a row, while in the UK it’s been the preference for six consecutive years now.

Recent figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that of the 121,850 new passenger cars sold in Ireland in 2023, more than one third of them were grey. Grey cars had a 37.23 per cent share of the Irish car market last year, with 45,362 units sold.

For the UK, the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that grey cars boasted a market share of more than a quarter (26.8%) in 2023, with than half a million (509,194) grey cars registered there last year.

The British regions were unanimous in a preference for grey, with white ranking as the second most popular in the Channel Islands, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Black was the second most popular in England, Wales and the Isle of Man.

In Ireland, the second most popular shade in 2023 was once again black, with 24,190 units sold. Black had a 19.85 per cent share of the market here.