Thomas Lyons According to the latest figures by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of used/imported tractors licensed for the first time increased by 13% last month. In March 2023, 240 used/imported tractors were licensed for the first time, compared to 212 tractors in the previous month. This figure stood at 184 in March 2022.
On the other hand, new tractors licensed for the first time last month reached a total of 211, which is up by 5% on February 2023 and 201 licenses. This number stood at 182 in March 2022. The CSO published the seasonally adjusted number of vehicles which have been licensed for the first time, classified by taxation class on Wednesday, April 12.
In Ireland, 19,238 vehicles were licensed for the first time last month, of which 13,252 were new vehicles, according to CSO figures. The number of new cars licensed for the first time in the first three months of 2023 was 16% of all new cars, compared with 13% in the same period last year.
The latest CSO figures show the continued growth in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland. According to CSO statistician, Nele van der Wielen, “The number of new electric cars licensed has risen by 39% from 5,388 in the first three months of 2022 to 7,513 in the same period of 2023. In the first three months of 2023, 16,292 new cars licensed were petrol cars compared with 10,981 in the same period in 2022, an increase of 48%.”
At the same time, new diesel cars licensed have decreased by 5% in the same period. In total, 22% of new private cars licensed for the first time were diesel compared to 26% in 2022. The total number of new cars licensed in March 2023 increased by 33%, while used cars which were licensed for the first time last month rose by 16% on last year.
The most popular make of new private cars licensed in March 2023 was Toyota with 2,037 licenses, followed by Skoda (1,633), Volkswagen (1,622), Kia (1,197), and Dacia (1,124). These numbers indicate that Toyota remains a popular choice for new car buyers in Ireland.
In conclusion, the latest CSO figures show a continued growth in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland. The number of new cars licensed for the first time in the first three months of 2023 was 16% of all new cars, compared with 13% in the same period last year. The total number of new cars licensed in March 2023 increased by 33%, while used cars which were licensed for the first time last month rose by 16% on last year.
