Clean car laws impact sales

The new-vehicle market softened slightly last month to 15,621 registrations, down 4.3 per cent compared with November last year, according to the latest statistics from the Motor Industry Association (MIA).  

The year-to-date market to the end of November is 0.2 per cent lower than for the same period in 2021. 

Mark Stockdale, MIA’s principal technical adviser, says registrations of 11,175 passenger cars and SUVs were down 0.3 per cent, or 39 units, last month but the year-to-date total was up by 3.2 per cent, or 3,358 units. 

Commercial vehicle sales came in at 4,446 in November for a drop of 13 per cent, or 667 units. Year to date they were also 7.4 per cent, or 3,589 units, down on the first eleven months of 2021.

“Along with supply chain challenges, the 2022 market is being affected by changes to the clean car discount introduced in April and the clean car standard about to take effect on January 1,” adds Stockdale, pictured.

“There has been an increase in low-emission vehicle sales and a sustained reduction in the sales of light commercial vehicles.”

The breakdown of last month’s figures shows there were 2,488 passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) sold, 65 BEV light commercial vehicles, 23 BEV heavy vehicles, 542 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and 1,704 petrol hybrid vehicles. 

The top three models for November were the Ford Ranger on 1,527 units, followed by Tesla’s Model Y with 1,099 and the Toyota Hilux on 925.

Year to date, the Ranger is top of the charts and has sold 10,465 units, with the Toyota Hilux next on 9,178 and Mitsubishi’s Outlander on 8,768. 

Toyota remained the leading marque last month with a 17 per cent market share after selling 2,709 units. Ford was second on 13 per cent and 1,960 units, with Mitsubishi in third spot with 10 per cent and 1,639 sales. 

Market share year to date has Toyota still in front on 18 per cent and 26,794 units, followed by Mitsubishi with 15 per cent, or 22,618 units, and Ford on nine per cent and 13,608 units. 

Market leaders

Last month, the top-sellers among the 2,553 light and 23 heavy BEVs were the Tesla Model Y on 1,099 units, BYD’s Atto with 475 and the Tesla Model 3 on 266.

The number of light passenger and SUV BEVs registered so far this year is 13,469, up from 5,586 at the same stage of 2021.

Stockdale adds registrations of PHEVs were strong with the category’s 542 sales led by Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross and Outlander, with 202  and 164 sales respectively. 

As for hybrids, 1,704 were registered in November with Toyota’s RAV4 coming top on 380 units, followed by the Honda Jazz with 189 and the Toyota Corolla Cross on 160. 

Toyota was the market leader for passenger and SUV registrations with a 15 per cent share after selling 1,654 units. Tesla and Mitsubishi both had 12 per cent with 1,365  and 1,306 sales respectively.

Mitsubishi retained top spot for passenger and SUV market share year to date after notching 15 per cent and 16,276 units. Toyota has the same percentage but 15,803 sales and Kia is next with 10 per cent and 11,007.

Ford was out front for light commercials last month after its 1,572 sales took out 35 per cent of the market. Toyota accounted for 24 per cent with 1,055 sales, and Mitsubishi was next on seven per cent and 333 units.

Ranger accounted for most of Ford’s success with a 34 per cent share and 1,527 units. 

Year to date, the Ranger has a 23 per cent market and 10,465 units. It is followed by the Toyota Hilux  on 20 per cent and 9,178, and Mitsubishi’s Triton with 13 per cent and 5,858.

Stockdale says that for segments, medium-sized SUVS remained dominant with a 28 per cent market share last month. Next was compact SUVs on 19 per cent and the pick-up/chassis 4x4 segment with 16 per cent.

Small to medium segments comprise 59 per cent of the total market, he adds.