Almost 4,000 new vehicles joined Malta's roads during the third quarter of the year, figures from the National Statistics Office Show. 

It brings the total number of licensed cars on the roads to just over 436,000. 

The average number of newly licensed motor vehicles per day amounted to 69 but the net average rate was of 43 motor vehicles per day.

Newly licensed motor vehicles

Newly licensed motor vehicles put on the road during the period under review amounted to 6,386. The majority of newly licensed motor vehicles, 3,575 or 56.0 per cent of the total, were passenger cars, followed by motorcycles/PA-bikes/E-bikes with 1,173 or 18.4 per cent.

The stock of licensed motor vehicles.

Newly licensed ‘new’ motor vehicles amounted to 3,842 or 60.2 per cent of the total, whereas newly licensed ‘used’ motor vehicles totalled 2,544 or 39.8 per cent.

Motor vehicles under restriction

During the third quarter of 2023, 5,856 motor vehicles were taken off the road due to restrictions. Out of these, 40.5 per cent were garaged, 34.3 per cent were resold, and 22.8 per cent were scrapped. Motor vehicles that had their restriction ending during the quarter under review totalled 3,621. The majority were recorded as being resold (51.9 per cent) or garaged (47.3 per cent).

The increase in new and second-hand vehicles. (NSO graphic)

Motor energy type

As at the end of September 2023, 253,739 motor vehicles or 58.2 per cent of the total had petrol-powered engines. Diesel-powered motor vehicles reached 156,658 or 35.9 per cent of the total.

Electric and plug-in hybrid motor vehicles accounted for 3.7 per cent of the entire stock, with a total of 15,960 motor vehicles. When compared to the previous quarter, increases of 20.6 per cent, 13.4 per cent and 10.8 per cent were registered in plug-in hybrid (diesel-electric), electric and combined (diesel-LPG) motor vehicles respectively.