Back to Top

 Skip navigation

Extra information
Methodology Previous Releases
International comparison:
See also:
YouTube Video
For more information on this release:
E-mail: transport@cso.ie Noreen Dorgan +353 21 453 5260 Brendan Curtin +353 21 453 5120
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 2009-5678
CSO statistical release, , 11am

Vehicles licensed for the first time

May 2016

New vehiclesMayJanuary - May
20152016Change20152016Change
New private cars9,02710,1251,09812.2%74,73693,34718,61124.9%
New goods vehicles2,1342,53139718.6%11,56115,0983,53730.6%
Total new vehicles12,07913,6681,58913.2%91,489114,30622,81724.9%

Increase of 12.2% in new private cars licensed in May 2016

Figure 1 VLFTM - New private cars licensed for the first time
go to full release

In May 2016, 10,125 new private cars were licensed for the first time, an increase of 12.2% compared with May 2015. A total of 5,488 used (imported) private cars were licensed, representing a rise of 46.4% on the same month last year.

In the first five months of 2016, 93,347 new private cars were licensed, a rise of 24.9% compared with the same period last year. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed rose by 21.3% compared with the same period in 2015.

The licensing figures also show that:

  • Volkswagen (1,010) was the most popular make of new private cars licensed in May, followed by Opel (1,000), Ford (891), Hyundai (845) and Renault (792). Together these five makes represent 44.8% of all new private cars licensed. See table 3.
  • In the first five months of 2016, seven out of every ten (70.3%) new private cars licensed were diesel fuelled, while 96.3% of new private cars licensed in the same period were in the A/B CO2 emissions bands. See table 2B.
  • The total number of new vehicles licensed during May 2016 was 13,668 compared with 12,079 during the same month in 2015, an increase of 13.2%. See table 1.
  • There was a 18.6% increase in the number of new goods vehicles licensed in May 2016, bringing the total to 2,531. See table 1.

 

Licensing differs from registration in that a vehicle is licensed when a valid motor tax disc is issued for the first time. Registration occurs when a vehicle gets its licence plate (registration number) for the first time.
Most popular makes of new cars, May 2015
Volkswagen 13.5
Opel6.2
Ford8.7
Hyundai7.7
Renault4.9
Other59
Most popular makes of new cars, May 2016
Volkswagen 10
Opel9.9
Ford8.8
Hyundai8.3
Renault7.8
Other55.2
Table 1: Number of vehicles licensed for the first time classified by taxation class
Taxation ClassMay January - May
201420152016 201420152016
New vehicles       
New private cars 7,7679,02710,125 58,89074,73693,347
New goods vehicles 1,5742,1342,531 7,67911,56115,098
New tractors 273225224 1,1549751,068
New motorcycles 107133159 451604746
New exempt vehicles 422441448 2,5422,9593,198
New other 107119181 585654849
Total new vehicles 10,25012,07913,668 71,30191,489114,306
        
Used (imported) vehicles       
Used private cars 4,9453,7485,488 23,09920,86325,315
Used goods vehicles 743680886 3,8123,6943,925
Used tractors 254175181 1,154741737
Used motorcycles 193183211 662657750
Used other vehicles 414347432 1,8121,5361,566
Total used vehicles 6,5495,1337,198 30,53927,49132,293
        
Total all vehicles 16,79917,21220,866 101,840118,980146,599
Table 2A: Number of new private cars licensed for the first time by CO2 emission band and fuel type, May 2016
BandFuel TypeTotal
PetrolDieselElectricPetrol & electric hybridDiesel & electric hybridPetrol or Diesel plug-in hybrid electricOther
A 1,6986,1052310102107,948
B 8859260140001,825
C 3718202000221
D 13380000051
E 10400000050
F 3180000021
G 31000004
Not available05000005
Total2,6497,31523117021010,125
Table 2B: Number of new private cars licensed for the first time by CO2 emission band and fuel type, January-May 2016
BandFuel TypeTotal
PetrolDieselElectricPetrol & electric hybridDiesel & electric hybridPetrol or Diesel plug-in hybrid electricOther1
A 16,65954,7742791,3202138073,172
B 8,3968,189016400016,749
C 4721,767060002,245
D 14237200100515
E 4333400000377
F 4420100000245
G 17140000031
Not available0130000013
Total25,77365,6642791,4903138093,347
1 Vehicles in this category have been reclassified
Table 3: Number of new and used (imported) private cars licensed for the first time by make, May 2016
MakeMay January - May
NewUsed (imported)Total NewUsed (imported)Total
        
Audi 5124769883,7952,0285,823
BMW 4603087683,3451,4654,810
Citroen 862383249589441,902
Dacia 34973562,613292,642
Fiat 7736113400147547
Ford 8917451,6369,3173,62112,938
Honda 421662081,0218451,866
Hyundai 8452431,0889,6481,07310,721
Jaguar 392059314108422
Kia 4371335704,3265714,897
Land Rover 912511685483937
Lexus 294069382156538
Mazda 153862391,8404282,268
Mercedes Benz 3301815112,3069013,207
Mini 385492474240714
Mitsubishi 481563596103699
Nissan 7152579727,9431,1379,080
Opel 1,00021,0025,276105,286
Peugeot 2402815212,7391,3054,044
Renault 7921369285,2455965,841
Seat 225592841,6922601,952
Skoda 6301457756,1225666,688
Ssangyong 180181222124
Subaru 106169325118
Suzuki 9032122718183901
Toyota 7624601,2229,9862,05712,043
Vauxhall 044244202,2682,268
Volkswagen 1,0107241,7349,9083,40913,317
Volvo 179912701,1854261,611
Other 2780107129329458
Total 10,1255,48815,613 93,34725,315118,662
        
The information in this table is available in much greater detail in Databases (see Statbank link below)

Background Notes

Source

The vehicle licensing figures are compiled from data supplied by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division. The data provide details on the number of private cars, goods vehicles, motor cycles and other vehicles licensed for the first time in each city and county council, classified by make and size, during a given month.

History

The release titled 'Vehicles Licensed for the First Time' commenced in January 1993. It replaced the series previously published as 'Particulars of Vehicles Registered and Licensed for the First Time'.

In January 1993, separate systems for vehicle registration and licensing were introduced. The Office of the Revenue Commissioners became responsible for the compilation of vehicle registrations while the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government retained responsibility for vehicle licensing. In January 2008, responsibility for vehicle licensing was transferred to the Department of Transport (which later became the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport).

For new cars registered from 1 July 2008 motor tax charges are determined on the basis of the CO2 emission level, based on seven CO2 bands.  

The licensing process where applicable follows the registration process.

Vehicle Licensing versus Vehicle Registration

Registration and licensing figures may differ in a given month for a number of reasons, some of which are outlined below:

  • Vehicles which under the previous system would have been licensed in the latter part of a particular month may not now be licensed until a later month because of the time lapse between registration and first licensing.
  • Registered vehicles which are not used in a public place (e.g. tractors for use exclusively on the land) may not need to be licensed.

The question is often asked, which reflects better vehicle sales, licensing figures or registration figures?

In practice, on a monthly basis, the licensing data is probably a better reflection of sales. In some cases, a vehicle may be registered by a dealership in advance of a sale. Whereas, typically, vehicles are only licensed at the point of sale. However, if a vehicle is purchased towards the end of a month, the buyer may wish to defer collecting and licensing it until the start of the following month. So the issue is not clear-cut.

From 31 October 1999, detailed information on agricultural vehicles is no longer published in accordance with Commission Decision 92/157/EEC as upheld on 28 May 1998.

Definitions

Private cars:  The term 'private cars' in this release, refers to privately licensed vehicles which include hire, fleet and certain commercial vehicles.

Second-hand:  The term 'second-hand vehicles' in this release, refers to imported used vehicles which are licensed for use in a public place, in this country, for the first time.

Exempt:  The term 'exempt vehicles' in this release, refers to vehicles which are licensed for the first time but are exempt from liability to pay road tax.

Exempt vehicles can be divided into four main categories:

  • State-owned
  • Diplomatic
  • Fire services
  • Disabled Drivers

Machines or Contrivances:  Vehicles included under this category are mobile machines, forklifts, excavators and diggers.

Electric hybrid:  means a vehicle that derives its motive power from a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine and is capable of being driven on electric propulsion alone for a material part of its normal driving cycle.

Plug-in electric hybrid:  means a vehicle that derives its motive power from a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, where the electric motor derives its power from a battery that may be charged from the internal combustion engine and an alternating current (AC) electric mains supply and is capable of being driven on electric propulsion alone for a material part of its normal driving cycle.

 

 

upArrowHide Background Notes

Scan the QR code below to view this release online or go to
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/vlftm/vehicleslicensedforthefirsttimemay2016/