Statistik Austria : 2012: 336 010 new passenger car registrations achieve second-highest result; decreases for lorries and two-wheelers

PRESS RELEASE: 10.429-005/13

2012: 336 010 new passenger car registrations achieve second-highest result; decreases for lorries and two-wheelers

V i e n n a , 2013-01-09 - In 2012, 435 929 new motor vehicles were registered, representing a decrease of 4.7% compared to 2011. According to Statistics Austria, the registration number of new passenger cars decreased by 5.7% to a total of 336 010 compared to the highest result to date (2011:
356 145). Thereof, 7.7% or 25 821 passenger cars were registered for merely one day (2011: 6.2%;
22 104). In contrast to 2011 (+16.3%), registrations of new lorries developed negatively (-3.6% to 34
813), tractors used for agriculture and forestry reported increases (+6.9%) to 8 318 vehicles. More
registrations were documented for lightweight motorcycles (+15.4%; 2011: +18.3%), motorcycles remained almost stable (-0.1%); however, the decreases for scooters (-12.1%) generally resulted in a
1.9% decline for two-wheelers.

Approx. 20 000 less passenger cars than in 2011

Registrations of new passenger cars 2012 reached the second highest value ever reported but couldn't reach the previous years' record (2011: 356 145). Diesel-driven passenger cars (share:
56.4%) as well as those with petrol drive (incl. flex-fuel (E85) vehicles; share: 42.7%) faced decreases (-2.6% and -9.9%, resp.). The share of alternative drives (electric-drive, natural gas, bivalent engine and hybrid-drive) was still low (share: 0.9% or 3 063 units) but recorded increases of 27.8% (2011:
41.6%).
In 2012, the months March (+5.8%), January (+4.9%) and June (+3.3%) reported increases. December (-21.1%), November (-19.7%), September (-11.9%), February (-9.1%), October (-8.9%), May (-5.8%), August (-5.1%), July (-3.5%) and April (-1.8%) were on the decrease.

Top 10 makes present almost two-thirds of new car registrations

Among the Top 10 makes of new passenger cars in 2012, VW could again defend the top position (share: 18.3%) with a total of 61 627 registered vehicles, followed by Skoda with 21 698 vehicles (share: 6.5%), Ford (share: 6.4%), Audi (share: 6.2%), Hyundai and Opel (share: both 5.7%), Renault (share: 5.0%), BMW (share: 4.7%), Seat (share: 4.3%) and Peugeot (share: 4.2%). Compared to 2011, increases were observed for Skoda (+6.6%), Hyundai (+6.4%), Audi (+4.4%) and BMW (+1.4%) whereas Opel (-25.7%), Seat (-12.7%), Peugeot (-10.9%), Renault (-9.9%), Ford (-8.7%) and VW (-5.4%) decreased.

Reduced-emission vehicles on the upswing

Regarding the CO2 emissions, a trend to reduced-emission vehicles is obvious. Since 2000, the CO2 emissions of new passenger cars continuously diminished and achieved an average of 134 g/km (2000: 176 g/km) for petrol driven vehicles and 138 g/km (2000: 162 g/km) for ones with diesel-drive in 2012. Regarding CO2 classes between 2011 and 2012, vehicles with more than 160 g/km (share:
12.2%; -16.6%) as well as those from 120 to 160 g/km (share 56.7%; -11.8%) decreased. 15.0% more
passenger cars were registered with less than 120 g/km (tax-averaged; share: 30.9%).

Market for commercial vehicles decreases, lorries -3.6%

In contrast to 2010 and 2011 (+8.5% and +16.3%, resp.), registrations of new lorries developed negatively in 2012 (-3.6%). Light commercial vehicles (lorries up to 3.5t gross vehicle weight (gvw); cl. N1; -3.1%), lorries from 3.5t to 12t gvw (cl. N2; -11.4%) and those above 12t gvw (cl. N3; -7.2%)
decreased. A loss was recorded for articulated lorries (-13.2%) as well; only tractors used for agriculture and forestry increased (+6.9%).

Different development for two-wheelers; total decrease of 1.9%

In 2012, lightweight motorcycles (up to 25 kW or 34 bhp) showed increases (+15.4%), whereas registrations of new motorcycles (above 25 kW or 34 bhp) remained almost unchanged (-0.1%). Scooters - the most important type of vehicle among the two-wheelers (share: 46.0%) - decreased by 12.1%. According to this figures, the whole market reported a minus of 1.9% with a total of 46 047 registrations.

One-day registrations prevent a higher decrease of new car registrations

7.7% or 25 821 new passenger cars of 336 010 were registered and de-registered within one day, which represented a growth of one-day registrations by 16.8% compared to 2011. Considerably high increases were observed in January (+85.3%) and May (+52.6%). Therefore, one-day registrations supported the development regarding new passenger cars; deducting them from the total number of registrations, the decrease would be 7.1% instead of 5.7%.
The number of short-term registrations of passenger cars up to seven days increased by 26.4%; that of registrations up to 30 days increased as well (+20.8%). Positive developments were also recorded for short-term registrations up to 60 and 90 days, respectively (+4.5% and +3.0%). A plus of 2.1% was documented for short-term registered vehicles up to 120 days.

Increase for registrations of used motor vehicles

In 2012 a total of 989 160 used motor vehicles was registered in Austria. This figure marks an increase of 1.2% compared to 2011 (+1.0%). Registrations of used passenger cars (808 384) reported an increase of 0.7%, as well as lorries (+3.6%), tractors used for agriculture and forestry (+2.1%), lightweight motorcycles (+8.2%), scooters (+2.3%) and motorcycles (+2.1%). Decreases were documented for articulated lorries (-16.7%).

For more detailed results and further information concerning statistics of motor vehicles please refer to our Website.

Methodical information, definitions: Motor vehicle statistics (registrations of new and used vehicles as well as the stock of vehicles) are secondary statistics, compiled on the basis of daily data files sent to Statistics Austria by Austria's association of insurance companies (VVO). VVO, in turn, receives data by the insurances' registrations offices, responsible for registrations, de-registrations and rectifications of motor vehicles and trailers.

Within motor vehicle statistics, all motor vehicles, once nationally or internationally registered, are levied,

irrespective of the registration's duration.

Media owner, producer and publisher: STATISTICS AUSTRIA, Federal Institution under Public Law Editorial office: Beatrix Tomaschek

1110 Wien, Guglgasse 13, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone] [e-mail]

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