The stock of licensed motor vehicles increased by 1,816 in the first three months of this year over the previous quarter - a net average increase of 20 motor vehicles per day.

At the end of March 2023, the stock stood at 426,720. Out of this total, almost 75 per cent were passenger cars, more than 12 per cent were goods-carrying vehicles and around 12 per cent were motorcycles/E-bikes/PA-bikes, special purpose vehicles, E-kick scooters, agricultural vehicles and minibuses.

The stock of licensed motor vehicles.

Road tractors, quadricycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and buses amounted to less than one per cent of stock.

 4,704 newly licensed vehicles - 41% were 'used'

Newly licensed motor vehicles put on the road during the period under review amounted to 4,704. The majority, 3,039 or almost 65 per cent of the total, were passenger cars, followed by motorcycles/PA-bikes/E-bikes with 804 or around 17 per cent.

There used to be more 'used' newly licensed vehicles than brand new ones, but that changed from the second quarter of 2021, mostly a result of Brexit.

Newly licensed ‘new’ motor vehicles amounted to 2,778 or 59.1 per cent of the total, whereas newly licensed used motor vehicles totalled 1,926 or 40.9 per cent. An average of 52 motor vehicles per day were newly licensed during the quarter under review.

Vehicles taken off the roads

At the same time, 6,329 motor vehicles were taken off the road due to restrictions. Out of these, 39.1 per cent were garaged, 36.4 per cent were resold, while 22.4 per cent were scrapped. Motor vehicles that had their restriction ending during the quarter under review totalled 3,760. The majority were recorded as being resold (55.6 per cent) or garaged (43.4 per cent).

12,411 vehicles are electric or hybrid

At the end of March 2023, 250,079 motor vehicles or 58.6 per cent of the total had petrol-powered engines. Diesel-powered motor vehicles reached 155,929 or 36.5 per cent of the total. Electric and plug-in hybrid motor vehicles accounted for 2.9 per cent of the entire stock, with a total of 12,411 motor vehicles.

When compared to the previous quarter, increases of 43.5 per cent, 15.4 per cent and 10.6 per cent were registered in combined (diesel-LPG), plug-in hybrid (diesel-electric) and plug-in hybrid (petrol-electric) motor vehicles respectively.