New car sales up slightly in 2011

New car sales increased by 2.4 per cent last year despite a 24 per cent decline in sales after the scrappage scheme ended during the second half of 2011.

Almost 87,000 new private cars were registered last year compared with some 85,000 in 2010, figures on vehicles registered released by the Central Statistic Office today.

Car sales decreased by almost 24 per cent after the Government scrappage scheme ended on June 30th, compared with the same period in 2010.

However car sales managed to increase overall for the year due to a strong first half of 2011 which saw an increase of 13 per cent on the same period in 2010.

The data shows a continued shift by motorists towards diesel which counted for more than 70 per cent of private car registrations last year.

Petrol cars made up just a quarter of those purchased in 2011 compared with 40 per cent of new car purchases in 2009 before the introduction of motor tax rates for low carbon emitting cars.

More than 90 per cent of cars sold last year were in the two lowest emission bands A and B.

However the environmental concern of Irish motorists has not stretched to electric cars which had a very low take-up since the first charge point was launched in 2010.

Just 48 private electric cars were registered in 2011 and 538 hybrid vehicles were registered in Ireland last year.

The sale of new goods vehicles increased by 6.5 per cent last year from 11,188 in 2011 to 10,510 in 2010 .