The number of new car registrations increased by 6.1 percent last year to 253,789 cars. The small car Dacia Sandero attracted the most interest, followed by the compact SUV Dacia Duster. The winner in the registrations for companies and private individuals in general – and therefore also for used cars – was once again the VW Golf. The number of electric cars sold has fallen.
In total, alternative drive systems achieved a share of 49.5 percent in 2024. The biggest losers among the new registrations were diesel vehicles. Because in 2024, more electric vehicles than diesel vehicles were newly registered.
Another trend for used cars
However, things look completely different in the second-hand car sector. Half of the used cars that changed hands last year had a diesel engine. In total, used registrations increased by eight percent to 820,629 vehicles. Contrary to doomsday prophecies that electric cars are difficult to sell as second-hand cars, they recorded a strong increase of 48.5 percent, albeit with a market share of 3.5 percent. “Compared to petrol and diesel cars, electric cars require on average two-thirds less energy,” says the VCÖ.
Increasing the tax on mineral oils is off the table for the time being
The provisional average CO₂ emissions of all newly registered cars in 2024 according to the WLTP test procedure was 106 g/km and has increased accordingly (2023: 104 g/km). The car lobby saw this as an opportunity to warn about an aging car population and a further decline in the number of electric cars sold. To prevent this, the deductibility of input tax and benefits in kind for company cars and purchase subsidies for private individuals must be maintained. According to the first statements of the possible future FPÖ/ÖVP government, an increase in the tax on mineral oils is in any case off the table, Günther Kerle, spokesman for the car importers, said happily on Tuesday.
There was a peculiarity when it came to new motorcycle registrations. They rose by as much as 30.8 percent – but mainly in December, which is probably due to the expiring Euro standards for tens of thousands of KTM motorcycles in stock that were saved from an early end with daily registrations.
7.42 million vehicles registered in Austria
At the end of 2024, approximately 7.42 million vehicles (plus 1.2 percent) were registered on the road in Austria. Of these, 70.5 percent or about 5.23 million were cars (plus 0.9 percent). In total, Statistics Austria counted 571,855 trucks, 493,054 tractors, 20,050 articulated vehicles and 655,175 motorcycles.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
