When faced with the big decision of buying a new car, more Irish consumers are choosing to go fully electric. For the first time, battery electric cars have become the most popular new private vehicle, taking the title from hybrids. "It's the future coming," said independent motoring expert at Carzone, Conor Faughnan. The latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that among all new car registrations in July - a proxy for sales - battery electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 26% of the market. It is a major milestone for the country; the Government aims to make 30% of the entire national fleet electric by 2030. Currently, only 4% of all cars on Irish roads are fully electric. "The mainstream population is becoming much more familiar with EVs and much more comfortable with the idea of having one," Mr Faughnan said. He believes that "range anxiety" - which refers to the fear that a battery charge won't be sufficient to complete a journey - and worries about resale value are now less of a concern for many buyers. The turbulent start of the year likely contributed to EVs' growing popularity, especially among previously undecided consumers. The Iran war sent petrol and diesel prices to new highs after March, while EV charging costs remained largely the same (though tariffs were increased in July). According to Switcher.ie, EVs are about 60% cheaper to run than petrol or diesel cars, with a typical home charge costing between €7 and €30. "An average person driving, for example, 17,000 kilometres a year is going to pay about €800 to run their car compared to about €2,000-€2,200 for petrol or diesel just to fuel the car," head of automotive content at DoneDeal Paddy Comyn said. However, to get that saving, one