This is the first in a new annual series looking at the composition of the vehicle fleet in Ireland. Using data already collected for the monthly CSO Vehicle Licensing release, and referencing comparable international data from Eurostat, insight will be provided on the composition of the fleet.
This insight is particularly relevant now given the climate change obligations Ireland has signed up to as a country. As regards the contribution that the Transport sector makes to national emissions levels, the response is to increasingly use electrification as the main means of reducing emissions from this sector. Accordingly, having clearly presented data on Electric Vehicle (EV) uptake in Ireland is important.
The vehicle licensing figures are compiled from data supplied by the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division of the Department of Transport. The data provide details on the number of private cars, goods vehicles, motorcycles and other vehicles licensed for the first time in each city and county council, classified by make and size, during a given month.
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.
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.
Registration and licensing figures may differ in a given month for a number of reasons, some of which are outlined below:
The question is often asked, which better reflects vehicle sales: licensing figures or registration figures?
In practice licensing data is probably a better reflection of vehicle sales on a monthly basis. 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.
Vehicles licensed for the first time: All Vehicles licensed for use on the public road for the first time in the Republic of Ireland.
The term private cars in this release, refers to privately licensed vehicles which include hire, fleet, and certain commercial vehicles.
A passenger car is a road motor vehicle, other than a moped or a motorcycle, intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine persons (including the driver). This category may also include vans designed and used primarily for transport of passengers, as well as ambulances and motor homes. Excluded are light goods road vehicles, as well as motor coaches and buses, and mini-buses / mini-coaches.
Other fuel or Alternative Fuels is a type of motor energy other than the conventional fuel’s petrol and diesel. Alternative fuels include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), LPG, natural gas (NGL or CNG), alcohols, mixtures of alcohols with other fuels, hydrogen, biofuels (such as biodiesel).
Under the Eurostat Motor Energy Glossary, if a vehicle is dual-fuelled or hybrid (e.g., LPG and petrol), the vehicle is coded under the alternative fuel category where possible to prioritize the tracking of cleaner propulsion types.
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV): Also known as all-electric or 100% electric vehicle, means an electric vehicle that exclusively runs on the electric motor, with no secondary source of production.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV): A vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine system with an electric propulsion system, which cannot be recharged externally.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): An electric vehicle constituted by a conventional combustion engine combined with an electric propulsion system, which can be recharged from an external electric power source.
Fleet Age: When determining the age of the private fleet, the electric fleet is identified by its zero CO2 emissions and categorized in motor tax band A0.
Eurostat links:
New passenger registration of vehicles by type of motor energy.
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