It's claimed despite the rise in popularity of electric vehicles in Clare, there will always be a demand for traditional combustion engines in rural parts of the county. New data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry shows that in the first six months of the year, 1,710 vehicles were newly registered in Clare, with electric cars making up 218 of those registered. Petrol cars remain the most sought-after with a 27% market share, closely followed by petrol-electric hybrids, which represent 22% of all purchases nationwide. General Manager of Sheils Motor Group, Eddie Rynne, says there's still some concerns over battery life of fully electric vehicles, leading to the popularity of hybrids models.