The number of licensed vehicles in Great Britain has grown just 0.7 per cent in 2008, the lowest year on year growth for thirteen years.
Overall, there were 34.2 million licensed vehicles registered in Britain at the end of 2008, representing an increase of almost 250 thousand vehicles number licensed at the end of 2007 but is less than half the increase seen in the previous year and the lowest year of growth since 1995.
In addition, there were 2.7 million vehicles registered for the first time in Great Britain in 2008. This is a drop of over 300 thousand vehicle registrations, or 10.8 per cent, from the previous year and represents the lowest number of new registrations since 1997. Proportionally, the year on year decrease is also the greatest since 1991.
The shocking statistics published by the Department for Transport (DfT) show a decline in the market for vehicles. The statistics did however show a variation by type of vehicle, with motorcycles enjoying a surprising increase in number by 2.2 per cent over the year. Motorbikes often offer low emissions, fuel efficiency and the ability to cut through heavy traffic with ease meaning that they can make a cheaper and easier method of motoring. Heavy goods vehicles on the other hand, declined 1.7 per cent.
Alongside this overall decline in the number of vehicle registrations, the proportion of new registrations to companies continues to increase with almost 6 in every 10 cars registered in Great Britain in 2008 being company owned. Amongst light goods vehicle registrations, the proportion increased slightly in 2008 to 9 in every 10.
The proportion of cars and light goods vehicles powered by diesel, which often make up some of the lowest C02 emission vehicles available, also continues to grow. A quarter of all licensed cars in Great Britain in 2008 were diesel propelled, twice the proportion from 10 years previous, while 43 per cent of cars registered for the first time in 2008 were also fuelled by diesel. Amongst light goods vehicles, over 90 per cent of the licensed stock and nearly all new registrations in 2008 were diesel powered.
Average carbon dioxide emissions from cars continued to fall in 2008, with average emissions from licensed cars – registered in Great Britain on or after 1 March 2001 – down 1 per cent in the year to a mean of 169.5 g/km. Further, the average CO2 emissions from cars newly registered in the year fell by nearly 4 per cent between 2007 and 2008 to an average figure of 158.2 g/km.
In line with this, an impressive 1 in every 10 cars registered in 2008 recorded CO2 emissions of less than 120 g/km. This represents a massive conversion to greener cars over the last few years, in 2004, only 3 in every 100 recorded this level of emissions.
However, despite an increase in the number of new green cars, the tightening British economy means the average age of vehicle stock also continues to grow. In 2008, cars licensed in Great Britain had been registered for an average of 7 years each. In 2007, however, the average car was registered for 6.8 years while in 2003 the average stood at 6.6 years.
