Number of vehicles hits 3.2m

ACCORDING to vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie the number of vehicles in Ireland hit 3.2 million for the first time when it returned a number of 3,204,161 registered vehicles on July 30.

The unprecedented size of the fleet presents issues for the road network and parking – particularly in urban areas.

‘ The unprecedented size of the fleet will not come as a surprise to commuters who will have noticed increased congestion on our roads network and shortage of parking in urban areas. Issues around free-flow of traffic, enforcement of parking, access to business and footfall, will prove increasingly challenging as the economy continues to grow,’ said Mr Byrne.

‘Residential zones will also have noticed overflow parking in urban areas as we accommodate a larger fleet than ever before.’

Meanwhile SIMI Director General, Alan Nolan, commenting on a 3.5 per cent rise in new vehicle sales in August compared to the same period last year (in Wexford sales are up just over five per cent and in Wicklow they are down just over one per cent) said the economic fundamentals that underpin new car registrations look set to remain positive but strong growth in used imports will continue to undermine new car sales.

‘For businesses in the sector, the impact of low Sterling exchange rates, due to Brexit, will have driven used car imports to levels close to the new car sales total by the end of this year, with consequences for the State in terms of tax revenues and the environment, as the combined VAT and VRT receipts on imported used cars are significantly less than from new car sales and their average emissions are higher,’ he said.

Cartell.ie also says that 17,363 private vehicles in Ireland (excluding imports) have 10 owners or more over the lifetime of the vehicle – excluding garage sales.

The highest number of owners recorded for a single vehicle is 31 owners.

There are 145 vehicles with 17 owners, 82 vehicles record 18 owners, 128 vehicles have 19 owners or more; and 11 vehicles have 25 or more owners over the course of the lifetime of the vehicle.

The highest number of owners recorded for a single vehicle is 31 owners: a Honda Integra registered in Galway with a 1998 plate.

This vehicle was imported from Japan in 2006. In 150 months in Ireland it has averaged an owner change every 147 days. One owner held that vehicle for just 14 days. Two vehicles in Ireland record 30 owners: a BMW 530 registered in 2004 and a Lexus IS200 registered in 1999.

The number of vehicles currently displaying 25 or more owners is 11 vehicles. Cartell last looked at the equivalent number of vehicles displaying 25 owners or more in 2015 when the number returned was five vehicles.

Number of Ownership changes per vehicle in private fleet (excluding imports) (Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

John Byrne, from Cartell.ie, says the number of owners for a vehicle can sometimes be overlooked by a potential buyer as a less important data marker but it’s an important part of the vehicle’s history.

‘A higher number of owner changes can sometimes indicate hidden issues such as mechanical problems with the vehicle. A higher number of owner cycles means the continuing upkeep of the vehicle becomes an issue too as some owners are more particular than others about ensuring vehicles are serviced regularly.