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Methodology Previous Releases
International comparison:
See also:
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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

July 2016

New vehiclesJulyJanuary - July
20152016Change20152016Change
New private cars21,29022,4621,1725.5%99,950119,95220,00220.0%
New goods vehicles2,4292,5601315.4%15,84019,6943,85424.3%
Total new vehicles24,89426,4801,5866.4%122,763147,80425,04120.4%

Increase of 5.5% in new private cars licensed in July 2016

Figure 1 VLFTM - New private cars licensed for the first time
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In July 2016, 22,462 new private cars were licensed for the first time, an increase of 5.5% compared with July 2015. A total of 5,637 used (imported) private cars were licensed, representing a rise of 38.3% on the same month last year.

In the first seven months of 2016, 119,952 new private cars were licensed, a rise of 20.0% compared with the same period last year. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed increased by 26.9% compared with the same period in 2015.

The licensing figures also show that:

  • Hyundai (3,185) was the most popular make of new private cars licensed in July, followed by Ford (2,531), Toyota (2,526), Nissan (1,875) and Volkswagen (1,806). Together these five makes represent just over half (53.1%) of all new private cars licensed. See table 3.
  • In the first seven months of 2016, seven out of every ten (70.0%) new private cars licensed were diesel, 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 July 2016 was 26,480 compared with 24,894 during the same month in 2015, an increase of 6.4%. See table 1.
  • There was a 5.4% increase in the number of new goods vehicles licensed in July 2016 bringing the total to 2,560.
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, July 2015
Hyundai12
Ford9.9
Toyota10.7
Nissan9.9
Volkswagen 10.5
Other47
Most popular makes of new cars, July 2016
Hyundai14.2
Ford11.3
Toyota11.2
Nissan8.3
Volkswagen 8
Other46.9
Table 1: Number of vehicles licensed for the first time classified by taxation class
Taxation ClassJuly January - July
201420152016 201420152016
New vehicles       
New private cars 14,03721,29022,462 76,31799,950119,952
New goods vehicles 1,5792,4292,560 10,35915,84019,694
New tractors 196185191 1,5511,3581,466
New motorcycles 131156205 6858711,107
New exempt vehicles 685679916 3,4823,8334,447
New other 108155146 7669111,138
Total new vehicles 16,73624,89426,480 93,160122,763147,804
        
Used (imported) vehicles       
Used private cars 4,8794,0755,637 32,48028,70336,411
Used goods vehicles 751739915 5,2505,1165,818
Used tractors 206130165 1,5671,0101,106
Used motorcycles 196168249 1,0451,0241,270
Used other vehicles 443353415 2,6502,2382,403
Total used vehicles 6,4755,4657,381 42,99238,09147,008
        
Total all vehicles 23,21130,35933,861 136,152160,854194,812
Table 2A: Number of new private cars licensed for the first time by CO2 emission band and fuel type, July 2016
BandFuel TypeTotal
PetrolDieselElectricPetrol & electric hybridDiesel & electric hybridPetrol or Diesel plug-in hybrid electricOther
A 4,05512,90738443149017,493
B 2,2351,9090410004,185
C 11842201000541
D 26620000088
E 10880000098
F 9360000045
G 21000003
Not available18000009
Total6,45615,43338485149022,462
Table 2B: Number of new private cars licensed for the first time by CO2 emission band and fuel type, January-July 2016
BandFuel TypeTotal
PetrolDieselElectricPetrol & electric hybridDiesel & electric hybridPetrol or Diesel plug-in hybrid electricOther
A 21,48170,0633251,8113194093,877
B 11,00210,451021600021,669
C 6042,274080002,886
D 17946900100649
E 5844900000507
F 5325000000303
G 20150000035
Not available1250000026
Total33,39883,9963252,03541940119,952
Table 3: Number of new and used (imported) private cars licensed for the first time by make, July 2016
MakeJuly January - July
NewUsed (imported)Total NewUsed (imported)Total
        
Audi 8424881,3304,7832,9657,748
BMW 7383001,0384,2452,0966,341
Citroen 1522173691,1721,3472,519
Dacia 733117443,491583,549
Fiat 11046156550239789
Ford 2,5318283,35912,1625,24117,403
Honda 2621754371,3071,1842,491
Hyundai 3,1852583,44313,0491,56614,615
Jaguar 681886399150549
Kia 1,0071701,1775,5088616,369
Land Rover 154121661,0581111,169
Lexus 10239141503230733
Mazda 423935162,3436092,952
Mercedes Benz 5141746882,9701,2654,235
Mini 8357140588354942
Mitsubishi 14223165753148901
Nissan 1,8752772,15210,0341,68611,720
Opel 1,06701,0676,636136,649
Peugeot 5782838613,4141,8345,248
Renault 1,3451221,4676,9878567,843
Seat 403674702,1663952,561
Skoda 1,3031281,4317,6358348,469
Ssangyong 370371622164
Subaru 2082811538153
Suzuki 174392139422511,193
Toyota 2,5264572,98312,9102,98615,896
Vauxhall 045045003,1783,178
Volkswagen 1,8067102,51612,3994,81517,214
Volvo 2541213751,4976412,138
Other 286694174458632
Total 22,4625,63728,099 119,95236,411156,363
        
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.

 

 

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