Car sales rise in June but pandemic continues to weigh on market

The number of new cars licensed in the Republic rose 29 per cent in June 2021 compared with the same period of 2019, new data from the Central Statistics Office showed.

But the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry could still be seen, with sales for the first half of the year still lagging 2019 figures.

A rising number of car owners are opting for electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, accounting for 14 per cent of new cars licensed for the first time last month, compared with 6 per cent a year earlier.

Almost a third of all new cars licensed in the first half of 2021 are electric and hybrid cars, compared with 19 per cent in the same period of 2020.

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Decline

The figures showed there were a total of 4,980 vehicles registered in June, 2,791 more than in June 2020, when the pandemic had taken hold, and 1,122 more than in June 2019.

Used cars showed a decline, with 2,098 fewer used private cars licensed than in June 2019. Year on year, the figures for used cars showed a rise of 2,162 when compared with June 2020.

In the first half of 2021, the number of used imported private cars licensed increased by 50 per cent compared with the same period in 2020, but it is still 23 per cent down on 2019 figures.

Motor caravans, including campervans, also showed an increase in popularity, with 753 licensed in the first half of 2021, compared with 420 in 2019.

Impact

“Today’s figures from the CSO show that figures for new cars licensed have risen above 2019 levels for the first time this year,” said statistician Dr Nele van der Wielen.

“In the first half of 2021, a total of 59,823 new private cars were licensed, an increase of 22 per cent compared with the same period last year. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic over the first half of 2021 is still visible as figures remain 23 per cent lower over the first six months of the year in comparison with 2019.”