09 October 2020
Go to release: Vehicles licensed for the first time September 2020
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (09 October 2020) published Vehicle Licensing figures for September 2020. These figures are based on the National Vehicle and Driver File compiled by the Department of Transport.
Today’s publication shows that the number of new cars licensed for the first time in September 2020 was 5,747 compared to 4,104 in September 2019, an increase of 40.0%. However, the number of new cars licensed in the first nine months of 2020 was 77,620 compared to 107,686 in 2019, a decrease of 27.9%.
Commenting on the data, Olive Loughnane, Statistician, said: ‘Today’s figures from the CSO show the continued growth in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland. Despite the drop of 27.9% in the overall number of new cars licensed from January to September 2020, the number of new hybrid and electric cars licensed in that period now exceeds the number licensed for all of 2019. The number of new electric cars licensed from January to September 2020 grew by 15.2% from 2,904 to 3,345. There were 11,871 new hybrid cars licensed in the first nine months of 2020, compared with 10,520 with the same period in 2019.’
Further commenting on the results, Olive Loughnane said: ‘The number of new cars licensed in September 2020 shows an increase of 40.0% compared to September 2019. The year-to-date picture is less positive. Data for the period, shows that the number of new cars licensed was 30,066 lower than in the same period of 2019, a drop of 27.9%. This fall is due to the very low numbers licensed during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. The number of used cars licensed in September declined by 5.8% but decreases in the number of used cars licensed were evident prior to the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.
Comparing today’s CSO figures with the recently published Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) figures, it is important to note that 53.4% of new cars licensed in September 2020 were registered before September.'
New car registrations, as reported by SIMI, were 5,685 in September 2020. From January to September 2020, there was a decrease of 25.8% in the number of cars registered to 84,535 compared with 113,945 for the same period in 2019.
The monthly licensing (CSO) figures and the registration figures (SIMI) differ due to the different dates on which a vehicle is registered (number plate) and licensed (tax disc). A vehicle may be registered by a dealership in advance of a sale, and vehicles which are registered in a given month may not be licensed until a later month.
Vehicle registration
A vehicle is registered when the vehicle registration tax due on the vehicle is paid to the Revenue Commissioners. Revenue then issue a registration number for the vehicle.
Vehicle licensing
A vehicle is licensed when the annual car tax due on the vehicle is paid for the first time.
Olive Loughnane (+353) 21 453 5281 or Noreen Dorgan (+353) 21 453 5260
or email transport@cso.ie
or email olive.loughnane@cso.ie
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