In the case of four-year-old vehicles checked in 2021 there was a 20% chance of a vehicle from that year being offered for sale with finance outstanding based on checks on Cartell.ie in the year gone by, but, like other key years the four-year- old-car level of finance has increased – to 21% this year.

Older vehicles are also showing relatively high levels of finance: a six-year-old vehicle, for example, shows 16% with outstanding finance in 2022 whereas the comparable figure last year, in 2021, was lower – 15%.

Ross Conlon, CEO CarsIreland.ie and Group Director New Business at Mediahuis Ireland, says: “We are witnessing a market correction: the overall percentages of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding in key registration years has risen again since the declines recorded in 2020. Buyers should we aware that there is now a one-in-three chance that a vehicle three-years-old or less is for sale with outstanding finance.”

“Buyers are strongly advised to be cautious in the market as you cannot take good title in the asset until the final payment has been paid to the financial institution. This means you may be buying a huge problem.”

The reasons for the increase seen between 2021 and 2022 is likely due to increased market activity, opening up of markets since the pandemic shut down.

The post Number of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance on the Rise appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Fortunately Cartell reports today the situation has improved in respect of our emission of CO₂. In an encouraging development for Government there has been a downturn in the average CO₂ emissions of new vehicles sold in Ireland: in 2020 average emissions decreased recording a reading of 105g CO₂ /km. This is the lowest level that Cartell has observed since recording these figures. More encouraging still is the fact that CO₂ /km had actually been going in the wrong direction until this year: the figure for 2019 of 114 CO₂ /km was higher than the figures for both 2018 (113 CO₂ /km) and 2017 (112 CO₂ /km)

Graph 1: Average CO₂   of new private vehicles bought in Ireland 2003-2020 for first ten months of the year in each case – Jan to October (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 1: Average CO₂  of new private vehicles bought in Ireland 2003-2020 for  first ten months of the year in each case – Jan to October (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Why has there been a fall this year?

One of the reasons for the fall may be the increase in Electric Vehicles (+21%) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (+16%) relative to the overall numbers of new vehicles purchased. Unfortunately new car sales overall are down in 2020 (-26%) so the impact of the purchase of more EVs and PHEVs in 2020 has had a correspondingly higher impact on the overall level of CO_2.

Jeff Aherne, Innovation Lead Cartell.ie, says:

“We are looking exclusively at new cars sold in Ireland and not at imported vehicles. It is timely that the figures for CO₂ /km in the private transport sector are dropping. The fall between 2019 and 2020 is significant and the Government will be encouraged by these results. To put that fall in perspective we have to go back to 2010 to find a 12-month-drop as large as what these results have yielded. However, there is a caveat to this: new car sales are well down this year for obvious reasons and so the purchase of EVs and PHEVs are having a larger positive impact than we might otherwise expect in a normal year. It isn’t all bad news though: if EVs and PHEVs continue their upward trajectory we may see the reductions in CO₂ consolidated in 2021.”

Cartell.ie is Ireland’s first and most comprehensive automotive data supplier providing Car History Checks to consumers and dealers. Launched in 2006, Cartell.ie is the automotive data expert providing tailored vehicle intelligence data to insurers, financiers, parts suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, and all sectors of the automotive industry. We supply data for multiple European countries such as, UK & Ireland, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Malta and more. 

The post CO2 Emissions Drop Significantly appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Of those 17,166 vehicles with 10 or more owners, 3,598 are located in Dublin, 1,883 in Cork, 988 in Galway, and 856 in Limerick.

Chart: Location by county of vehicle’s with 10 or more owners

The majority of vehicles in Ireland are on their first, second or third owners. The graph below documents the number of ownership changes per vehicle in Ireland. It clearly shows the importance of establishing the number of owners when buying a used vehicle. The graph also shows that people do not change their vehicle on a whim as the results show the bulk of vehicle’s are still on their first, second, or third owner.

Graph 1: Number of ownership changes per vehicle – 1 to 10 owners (Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

Table 1: Number of ownership changes per vehicle (Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

The average age of a vehicle in the Irish fleet (all vehicle types) is currently 8.60 years and the average number of owners is 2.54 owners per vehicle. This means the average sales cycle in Ireland is 3.39 years between ownership changes. When buying a vehicle the consumer should use this rule of thumb. Any less than 3 years between owner changes and a higher number of owners than 3 owners should impact on the selling price when buying a vehicle.

Innovation Lead Cartell.ie, Jeff Aherne says:

“Obviously counting the number of previous owners and the dates of sale are a very important part of the history of a vehicle. The higher the number of owners the more important a car history check becomes. If the car has a higher number of owners, and, if it changed hands recently, then you have to question whether the vehicle has mechanical issues. Consumers can check the number of previous owners with us as part of the many checks we provide. If a car already has three owners then it is above average and this should impact on the selling price.”

Cartell.ie is Ireland’s first and most comprehensive automotive data supplier providing Car History Checks to consumers and dealers. Launched in 2006, Cartell.ie is the automotive data expert providing tailored vehicle intelligence data to insurers, financiers, parts suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, and all sectors of the automotive industry. We supply data for multiple European countries such as, UK & Ireland, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Malta and more. 

The post 17,166 vehicles in Ireland have 10 owners or more appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (11^th March) that more new vehicles are being sold with automatic transmission, and the gap between manual and automatic transmission has narrowed considerably in the last 5 years for new car purchases.

For native Irish cars automatic transmission has grown from 18,831 of new cars purchased in 2015 to 36,286 vehicles in 2019 – almost doubling in numbers. By contrast, manual transmission vehicles have declined from 106,837 to 77,183 over the same period.

The ratio of manual to automatic transmission vehicles so far in 2020 now comes in at less than 2:1 –

25,474 manuals compared with 14,166 automatics.

Graph and Chart showing transmission types for new cars purchased in Ireland 2015 to 2020

Reasons for the increase in automatic transmission may simply be owing to manufacturers including automatic as standard in many new luxury cars. Automatic transmission vehicles, often a relatively expensive additional option, are considered by most drivers as easier to drive. There are also now negligible differences in terms of emissions between the two types meaning environmental considerations generally do not factor in the buyers decision between the two.

Most electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) have automatic transmission as standard. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which are early precursors to autonomous vehicles of the future now include an advancement called predictive transmission which enables the vehicle to automatically shift to the optimal gear after identifying the road and traffic conditions ahead.

John Byrne, Cartell.ie says:

“It’s interesting to see how popular automatic transmissions have become. Automatics are easier to function and many current variants are incredibly intuitive and add positively to the driving experience. The days of the manual are not gone but remember that Electric Vehicles (EVs) generally require automatic transmission so as we phase towards EVs we can expect the growth in automatics to continue.”

For imports the manual is more popular: 319,951 of all imports (cars only) into Ireland are manual transmission while 104,323 are automatics. The whole fleet currently shows 2,624,504 manuals as against 489,414 automatics.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie is Ireland’s first and most comprehensive automotive data supplier providing Car History Checks to consumers and dealers. Launched in 2006, Cartell.ie is the automotive data expert providing tailored vehicle intelligence data to insurers, financiers, parts suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, and all sectors of the automotive industry. We supply data for multiple European countries such as, UK & Ireland, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Malta and more. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Automatic Transmission on the Rise appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

New Car Sales

Onto the hard facts as sales of new cars in 2019 (up to December 1) amount to 113,526. This is a 6.5% decrease on 2018’s figure of 121,130 for the same period. In fact, each of the last 3 years has seen a dip in sales of new cars in Ireland as savvy buyers shop around for value, taking advantage of more favourable exchange rates to source high-spec imports, or simply waiting for a shiny new 20 plate.

The title of most popular new car in 2019 (January – November) goes to the Toyota Corolla recording 4,212 sales, placing it ahead of previous winners like the Hyundai Tucson (second with 3,877 sales and biggest seller in 2016) and the Golf (top seller in 2018 and 2017). When it comes to the most popular brand however it is Volkswagen who come out on top ahead of Toyota (13,382 vs. 11,524 sales). Almost all of the car manufacturers experienced the same slight decline in sales (between 5 and 10%) as reflected in the overall figure, with just a few brands outperforming their sales figures in 2018 (including Skoda, Seat, Peugeot and Opel).

Engine Types

Moving on to one of the more interesting market trends for 2019, we see the perennial favourite that is the diesel engine take a significant hit. Only 53,402 new cars were diesel fuelled, a drop of 19.18% on the 2018 figure of 66,075. This could be attributed to both a stronger push of the green agenda generally and the financial considerations associated with the WLTP and the newly announced NOx tax.

Petrol power didn’t fluctuate too much from 2018 and seemed relatively unaffected by larger market trends with 45,782 new cars sold in 2019, less than 1,000 down on the 2018 figure for the same period. The big movers in the market were Hybrids and EVs, particularly the latter. EVs almost trebled in sales since 2018’s figure of 1,234 sales, standing at 3,409 in 2019 so far. Hybrids also experienced a remarkable increase of almost a half (48.45%), with 2019 producing 10,969 sales to date (compared with 7,389 in 2018). And while both hybrids and EVs still represent a small portion of the overall market, there is little doubt they are on a strong upward trend. Whether it’s the improved battery-life and range, increasingly favourable price-points, government incentives, or eco-consciousness, this looks like the beginning of the end for the “dirty diesel” era as the public slowly but surely starts to embrace alternative choices.

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”] Cartell originated back in 2006 to fight back against fraud and dishonesty in the motor industry and protect consumers. Cartell have assisted countless motor dealers, insurers, financiers, parts suppliers and others in the automotive industry to access the most accurate and comprehensive data available. 13 years later we are doing the same. Protect yourself and your investment or offer your buyer reassurance. If you are buying or selling a used car, always get a Cartell Check.[/box]

The post Review of the 2019 Motor Industry appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (08^th January) that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is 18.3% – up from 16.6% in December 2018 and 11.5% in January 2017. These are the highest levels that Cartell has recorded. Cartell.ie also reports that more vehicles for certain key registration years are being offered for sale with finance outstanding than in 2018. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell.ie website in 2019, the figures show that more than forty percent of two-year-old vehicles are offered for sale with finance outstanding.

In the case of one-year-old vehicles (2018) the levels of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding has risen from 35.9% for the equivalent period in 2018 to 39.4% in 2019. This means there is now a two-in-five chance of a one-year-old vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Similarly in the case of three-year-old vehicles (2017) checked last year there was a 36.8% chance of a vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding based on checks on Cartell.ie in the year gone by.

Graph 1: Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance by Registration Year checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

Graph 2: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

Even older vehicles are regularly offered for sale with finance outstanding – 22.3% of all four-year-old vehicles offered for sale in 2019 had outstanding finance against them and the rates of finance are going up for older cars too: four-year old to ten-year-old cars all showed respective increases over the corresponding levels recorded last year.

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

Not only are finance levels the highest we have ever recorded but the increases can be seen right across the board. We are seeing gains in virtually every year-segment indicating that more and more people are financing their second-hand car purchase. There could be many reasons for this including new entrants in the finance market, better availability of finance, or, in the case of PCP, buyers may be increasingly financing the balloon payment that falls due at the end of the initial PCP term.”

What’s really concerning is that finance levels are up across nearly all the years and the headline figure of 18.3% overall is particularly concerning. Buyers are strongly advised to be cautious in the market as you cannot take good title in the asset until the final payment has been paid to the financial institution. This means you may be buying a huge problem.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

Table 1: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie is Ireland’s first and most comprehensive automotive data supplier providing Car History Checks to consumers and dealers. Launched in 2006, Cartell.ie is the automotive data expert providing tailored vehicle intelligence data to insurers, financiers, parts suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, and all sectors of the automotive industry. We supply data for multiple European countries such as, UK & Ireland, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Malta and more. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Finance Levels Surpass Boom Levels appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (11th September) that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is 17.5% – up from 16.6% in December 2018 and 11.5% in January 2017. Cartell.ie also reports that more vehicles for certain key registration years are being offered for sale with finance outstanding than in 2018. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell.ie website in the first 6 months of 2019, the figures show that more than forty percent (41.55%) of three-year-old vehicles are offered for sale with finance outstanding.

In the case of one-year-old vehicles (2018) the levels of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding has risen from 33.3% for the equivalent period last year 2018 to 40.78% so far in 2019 – representing an increase of 22.46%. This means there is now more than a two-in-five chance of a one-year-old vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Similarly in the case of two-year-old vehicles (2017) there is a 38.31% chance of a vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding based on checks on Cartell.ie in the first 6 months of 2019.

Graph 1: Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance by Registration Year checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

Graph 2: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

Statistics published by Cartell.ie indicate that buyers have more than a two-in-five chance (41.55%) of purchasing a three-year-old vehicle (2016) with finance outstanding. Even older vehicles are regularly offered for sale with finance outstanding – 16.43% of all 2013 registered vehicles offered for sale in 2019 had outstanding finance against them. 

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

Forty-two per cent of all three-year-old vehicles (2016) checked in the first 6 months of 2019 on Cartell.ie have finance outstanding. This is up from 38.57% of three-year-old vehicles (2015) checked last year on the site over the equivalent period. The rise is possibly attributable in some cases to expiring PCPs where owners are testing the market to see if they can return a higher price than the Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV) guaranteed by the dealer. What’s really concerning is that finance levels are up all across the years and the headline figure of 17.5% overall is particularly worrying. Buyers are strongly advised to be cautious in the market as you cannot take good title in the asset until the final payment has been paid to the financial institution. This means you may be buying a huge problem.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

Table 1: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie is Ireland’s first and most comprehensive automotive data supplier providing Car History Checks to consumers and dealers. Launched in 2006, Cartell.ie is the automotive data expert providing tailored vehicle intelligence data to insurers, financiers, parts suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, and all sectors of the automotive industry. We supply data for multiple European countries such as, UK & Ireland, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Malta and more. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Finance Levels Continue to Rise – Now 17.5% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

AudiCheck.ie launched to provide vehicle history transparency

[14/08/2019]: Audi Ireland has launched an innovative joint promotion with vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie to provide vehicle condition transparency to all Audi drivers. Recognising the risks faced by potential purchasers of imported Audi vehicles, a new user-friendly website AudiCheck.ie is now operational. The new website will allow customers check their Audi vehicle (imported or domestic) for any software update or product enhancements requirements. By simply entering their registration number, customers will be notified of any software updates or product enhancement requirements which can be rectified free of charge at their local authorised Audi dealer.

Cartell.ie tracked the ‘imported’ fleet in 2019 (cars only, all makes & models) between January 1st and June 30th. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale on their UK registration plate and checked via the Cartell.ie website in 2019 it was found that the percentage of vehicles checked by consumers returning discrepancies on their mileage stood at 23%.

The percentage of vehicles checked by the consumer returning an outstanding finance marker stood at 14.4% and the comparable figure for vehicles returning a damage alert stood at 16.4%.

Jason Mallon, Head of Aftersales, Audi Ireland said

“The Audi network has a comprehensive used car offering for Audi customers. We acknowledge that customers purchase used cars via private sales or through other channels. This new partnership is giving used Audi drivers the opportunity to get the care and attention their car requires from the experts. Peace of mind is crucial for customers when purchasing an Audi.  All cars sold via our dealer network come with a car history check along with a comprehensive 110 point check. Our partnership with Cartell.ie encourages customers who don’t buy from the Audi network to get a history check when buying a used Audi. If they get a Cartell.ie history check, we offer the value of the Cartell History Check back in the form of a voucher. This voucher can be redeemed against Audi services or accessories with Audi Authorised Service Dealers in the Republic of Ireland.

Jeff Aherne, Director, Cartell.ie says:

“These figures are startling and show how cautious a buyer has to be in the market. More than 50% of all the cars in the sample of vehicles checked on their UK registration plate in 2019 returned a significant alert on the vehicle. A buyer shopping abroad can avail of some excellent value however with the high number of discrepancies in vehicles checked it is always wise to carry out a check prior to purchase.”

Cartell.ie looked at the overall make-up of the imported fleet in 2019 and found that the Audi A4 and Audi A6 featured prominently in the list occupying the fourth and fifth slots respectively. In terms of the overall make-up of the brands Audi places third in 2019.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

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Table 1: The Most Popular imported models year to date 2019

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Table 2: The Most Popular imported brands year to date 2019

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About Cartell.ie

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The promotion is applicable with Audi Authorised Service Dealers in the Republic of Ireland. A minimum spend of €50 is required and the voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of the Cartell history check.

The post Half of ‘imports’ checked in 2019 showed alerts appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Cartell.ie looked at the first two months of the year for every year between 2003 and 2019 and the data yielded the following results:

Why has the average value been increasing?

In 2018, Cartell reported to the market that the value of the average new car sold in Ireland has been increasing steadily. We reported a figure of €30,130 for the first 6 months of 2018 in a detailed analysis. The final end-of-year figure for 2018 returned €30,082 – the first time that average values for a full year have fallen above €30,000.

In 2019, for the first two months, the average new car value has broken through the €31,000 marker returning €31,003 – an increase of 3 per cent.

Graph 1: Average value of new private vehicles (Open Market Selling Price (OMSP)) bought in Ireland 2003-2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Cartell.ie considered several possible reasons for the continued increase in the average value of a private vehicle purchased in Ireland over the last several years:

• Consumers may be opting for more expensive vehicles, or more expensive vehicle types like SUVs and Crossover vehicles, or MPVs
• Buyers may want larger cars. The country had a recorded population of 4.23 million in Census 2006 which increased to 4.76 million in Census 2016. This increase may have weighed on buyer decisions, for instance, buyers with younger children may need additional space
• Buyer has more cash to spend or more available lines of credit. Financial products such as Personal Contract Plans (PCPs) came to prominence in Ireland during the recession as manufacturers sought a means to provide direct lines of credit to potential buyers
• Vehicles are more expensive to manufacture, to comply with NCAP safety ratings, for example, this increases the cost of manufacture: the consumer now often expects certain higher specification items as standard too – larger wheels, alloys, on-board technology, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features – which all increase the manufacture cost

Table 1: Inflation adjusted Average Values 2004 to 2019 (first two months of each year) (Source: Cartell, Carstat)

As we said last year the buyer of a new vehicle is getting more features than before particularly on the safety side. Over time new-car-buyers have grown accustomed to a greater range of features and these are often rolled-out as standard in future generations as manufacturers add new features as additional extras. This cycle may increase the cost of manufacture on the one hand but it can also increase the price consumers are willing to spend to acquire features seen as desirable. Simple examples of this phenomenon are electric windows and alloy wheels. Possibly, the buyer in some cases may be opting for more expensive cars owing to more readily available lines of credit or simply because buyers are keen to buy a larger car when fuel economy and motor taxation figures have dropped so significantly across the board.

Larger, bulkier cars like SUVs are becoming fashionable. Often the reasons for a buyer opting for a vehicle of this type are based on practicalities like easier access to rear seats and loading areas. It stands to reason that vehicles of this type, as they are larger, are more expensive to manufacture. They can also increase the average levels of CO₂.

One concern which arose from the introduction of the World Harmonised Light Duty Vehicle Testing Protocol (WLTP) was whether more stringent rules on emissions testing would spell the end for optional extras in new cars. Based on this birds-eye market analysis by Cartell.ie there is no strong evidence this is taking place.

CO₂ Emissions – the trend is unfortunately upwards

In 2018, Cartell looked at the state of CO₂ emissions in the private transport sector. It had been then reported that Ireland faced a significant fine in 2020 for a “serious rise in Irish greenhouse gas emissions” – which had been partly attributed to the transport sector where emissions increased by 3.7 per cent in 2016.

Unfortunately Cartell reports today the situation has actually worsened in respect of our emissions of CO₂. In a worrying development for Government there has been an upturn in the average CO₂ emissions of new vehicles sold in Ireland: in 2018 average emissions increased for the first time since 2004 recording a reading of 113g CO₂ /km. More concerning is that the trend is now upwards – the reading recorded for the first two months of 2019 is 115g CO₂ /km.

Graph 2: Average CO₂  of new private vehicles bought in Ireland 2003-2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 2: Average CO₂  of new private vehicles bought in Ireland 2003-2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Remember, we are looking exclusively at new cars sold in Ireland so any arguments with respect to imported vehicles can be entirely discounted. The report considers whether the average emissions are possibly increasing in line with a buying trend towards purchase of more expensive vehicles, meaning these results are correlative with the general increase in the value of new vehicles sold. However, this wouldn’t really explain the increase in emissions per se as manufacturers have invested considerable amounts of money to reduce emissions in their fleet in-line with overarching concerns for the environment globally.

The reason for the increase may simply be the buying trend towards larger more practical vehicles like SUVs in favour of saloons. Certainly the buyer is spending more money as will be more in evidence when the reader looks at the next section of this report.

Buyers buying different vehicles – more money to spend?

One intriguing aspect we found in the data is the changing consumer trend towards buying vehicles in the €30k to €40k price bracket. This is now the second most popular price bracket for purchasers overall and it is well on course to becoming the most popular bracket – possibly as early as next year – as the gap is closing markedly. This can be seen in the graph below.

Graph 3: Value of New Vehicles purchased in Ireland by price bracket 2003-2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

The price bracket €30k to €40k is also the bracket where the average value lays – currently €31,003. As more and more purchasers become accustomed to spending in excess of €30,000 so the cycle continues as more and more different buying options are presented by the various manufacturers in this bracket to feed the demand.

This is in contrast to the position in the lowest price bracket – less than €20k where fewer and fewer consumer purchases are taking place. This is reflected in the graph which shows a significantly sharp decline in the numbers of buyers purchasing in this bracket: in 2003 this bracket constituted half of the entire market and now brings in less than 20 per cent of the overall sales by numbers of units. Again, the effect is cyclical as the smaller number of purchases in this bracket reflects, or results in, a smaller number of buying options available in the segment as manufacturers concentrate their efforts elsewhere.

Graph 4: CO₂  emissions by price bracket 2003-2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Another interesting aspect to this consumer shift is the commensurate impact on CO₂  emissions: The graph above shows that, in line with the general upward trend in the market, CO₂  emissions are increasing over the course of the past couple of years except for one bracket – the €30,000 to €40,000 price bracket. This is exactly the price bracket where Electric Vehicles (EVs) enter the frame as this is the price bracket where those vehicles are sold and consequently EVs are clearly impacting on average emissions in that bracket. Though EVs are not yet being sold in numbers which are having the same impact on CO₂  emissions in the market overall.

Electric Vehicles (EVs), hybrids and the consumer shift to more expensive vehicles

One of the reasons mentioned widely for the slow growth in Electric Vehicles (EVs) is the increased manufacturing costs for vehicles of this type and consequently the higher purchase price of this vehicle-type. To some extent this higher price-point has been offset by Government incentives. Our report looks in more details at the value of EVs at the time of first purchase in the market and returns the following results.

Table 3: Value and units of Electric Vehicles sold first two months of the year 2017 to 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

The table above shows the recent growth in the numbers of EVs – up 6 times on last year. It also shows the price-point for this vehicle-type has settled just above €33,000. Combined with the growth in this price bracket (see previous section) and the recent consumer trend towards (i) buying a car which is more expensive and (ii) buying an EV the market should be prime for EV sales in 2020/21.

Table 4: Value and units of Hybrid Vehicles sold first two months of the year 2017 to 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

In terms of hybrid sales the market has advanced 20 per cent. The overall numbers of hybrids sold in the first 2 months of 2019 displays a healthy annualised increase of 20 per cent. This growth weighs against the backdrop of a decline in diesel sales – down 23 per cent.

One thing that is open to interpretation is the future market demand outcome – whether demand will move more towards Electric Vehicles or towards their hybrid equivalents. Self-charging hybrids now make up 7.7 per cent of the car market against 2.2 per cent for EVs. In volume terms, hybrid growth continues on an equivalent level to EVs.

The advantage with the hybrid is that it is much closer to what the average consumer is already familiar with and it fends off so-called range anxiety. The case for the EV turns more on the additional environmental benefits a car of this type delivers (in terms of its day-to-day performance) and the fact that range anxiety will also become less of an issue as additional battery capacity coming on stream pushes vehicles of this type to deliver more range in the future.

Michael Gaynor, Marketing Director, Toyota Ireland told Cartell.ie:

We continue to see consumers make the shift from diesel to self-charging hybrids where 80% of all our car sales in 2019 will be hybrids. Our next generation hybrid engines can now deliver up to 60 per cent zero emissions driving, giving consumers much of the benefit of a pure electrified car without the compromise of re-recharging or range anxiety. It’s why we expect self-charging hybrids to account for 12 per cent of private car sales in 2020, growing to 20 per cent by 2021.”

Obviously there is a Brexit uncertainty in the market, however, this point aside for the moment, we would expect to see self-charging Hybrids grow to 12% or 1 in 8 of new cars sold in 2020.  Very healthy growth in EVs in 2020 – more than 3,000 units for the first 2 months of next year is easily achievable and 5,000 units is not impossible. This anticipates EVs being sold at a value in the low €30,000s and the continuing consumer advance towards buying cars in the €30,000 to €40,000 bracket. As we expect this to be the most popular bracket for new car sales within the next two years this should yield significant growth in EVs over that period as consumers are faced with a like-for-like choice in terms of price knowing that EVs can yield savings down the line in terms of running costs. So, in January and February 2020 we can make a prediction of sales in the region of €100m+ EV sales.

Notes 

1. While compiling these figures Cartell assessed, for all the years, the Open Market Selling Price for each vehicle purchased, based on the Jato List price.
2. The study deducted public grants and VRT rebates for environmentally friendly vehicles such as Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (EVs/PHEVs).
3. The values given for New Private Sales in the Tables are those successfully matched to the OMSP. The study successfully matched in excess of 98 per cent of vehicles.

The post New Car Market Profiling and EV/Hybrid Predictions for 2020 appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

 Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie report today (10^th April) on a concerning increase in CO₂ emissions. In 2018, Cartell looked at the state of CO₂ emissions in the private transport sector. It had been then reported that Ireland faced a significant fine in 2020 for a “serious rise in Irish greenhouse gas emissions” – which had been partly attributed to the transport sector where emissions increased by 3.7 per cent in 2016.

Unfortunately Cartell reports today the situation has actually worsened in respect of our emission of CO₂. In a worrying development for Government there has been an upturn in the average CO₂ emissions of new vehicles sold in Ireland: in 2018 average emissions increased for the first time since 2004 recording a reading of 113g CO₂ /km. More concerning is that the trend is now upwards – the reading recorded for the first two months of 2019 is 115g CO₂ /km.

Graph 2: Average CO₂   of new private vehicles bought in Ireland 2003-2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 2: Average CO₂  of new private vehicles bought in Ireland 2003-2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

Remember, we are looking exclusively at new cars sold in Ireland so any arguments with respect to imported vehicles can be entirely discounted. We considered whether the average emissions are possibly increasing in line with a buying trend towards purchase of more expensive vehicles, meaning these results are correlative with the general increase in the value of new vehicles sold. However, this wouldn’t really explain the increase in emissions per se as manufacturers have invested considerable amounts of money to reduce emissions in their fleet in-line with overarching concerns for the environment globally.”

The reason for the increase may simply be the buying trend towards larger more practical vehicles like SUVs in favour of saloons.

ENDS

Cartell.ie is Ireland’s first and most comprehensive automotive data supplier providing Car History Checks to consumers and dealers. Launched in 2006, Cartell.ie is the automotive data expert providing tailored vehicle intelligence data to insurers, financiers, parts suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, and all sectors of the automotive industry. We supply data for multiple European countries such as, UK & Ireland, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Malta and more. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post CO2 Emissions – the trend is unfortunately upwards appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (February 13^th) that the age of the imported fleet is now at its lowest level since May 2010 and the native fleet age is now at its lowest level since September 2013. The overall picture shows the age of the private fleet, both native and imported, has returned to a level last seen in August 2013.

Cartell.ie tracked the age of the fleet (both native fleet and imported fleet) on the first day of each month between February 1999 and February 2019. Between February 2018 and February 2019 the imported fleet has declined in age from an average of 9.0 years to 8.76 years (-88 days). For the equivalent period the native fleet has declined from 8.57 years to 8.48 years (-32 days).

Graph 1: Age and Size of Private Fleet, Native fleet, Imports 1999 to 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

The age of the fleet oscillates throughout the year as vehicles leave the fleet and others enter. However the drop in age of the imported fleet since February 2017 (-209 days) has been particularly notable. In February 2018 the difference in age between the (older) imported fleet and the (younger) native fleet was 158 days while today the difference in age has narrowed to 102 days.

John Byrne, General Counsel, Cartell.ie, says:

“A lot has been said lately about imported vehicles. The results of this analysis show the average Irish buyer importing a vehicle is evidently opting for a younger vehicle than before and this is bringing down the age of both the imported fleet and the combined fleet, native and imported.

In January 2015 Cartell released data which showed the age of the private fleet in Ireland had levelled-off significantly for the first time in over 10 years – supporting our view the market was then going into recovery.”

In November 2017 Cartell reported the age of the native fleet stood at 8.62 years while the age of the imported fleet stood at 9.02 years: which was the youngest recorded age for the imported fleet since July 2011. The overall age of the private fleet in Ireland (native and imported) stood at 8.7 years: representing a decline of 80 days since January 2017. That equivalent figure now stands at 8.55 years representing a decline of 68 days since those figures were released.

The imported fleet is now at its youngest level since 1^st May 2010.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Table 1: Age of Native Fleet and Imported Fleet – 2018 to 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 2: Age of Native Fleet and Imported Fleet – February 1999 to February 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

References:

https://www.cartell.ie/2015/01/age-of-fleet-levels-off-as-car-industry-in-recovery/

https://www.cartell.ie/2017/11/age-fleet-falls-imports-time-high/

https://www.cartell.ie/2018/10/age-private-fleet-drops-younger-imports/

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Age of Private Fleet Drops on Younger Import appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (January 9) that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is at 16.61% – back to the highest levels Cartell.ie has ever recorded. This figure is up from 14.3% in December 2017 and 12.5% in July 2017. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell.ie website in 2018 it was found that overall levels of finance have increased 16.15% in 12 months since December 2017 and 75% since June 2016 when the rate recorded was 9.5%.

Graph 1: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

Jeff Aherne, Director, Cartell.ie, says:

We have now returned to the highest levels ever recorded by Cartell.ie for vehicles offered for sale with outstanding finance. In December 2014 we saw levels of finance outstanding at 7%: so in 4 years the rate has more than doubled. A buyer is advised to check a vehicle for outstanding finance as the finance company owns the vehicle until the last payment has been made – the bottom line is that you can lose the vehicle.”

ENDS

About Cartell.ie: Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Notes to Editor

Table 1: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

The post Finance Levels Rise Again – now 16.6% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

The UK is now experiencing record numbers of clocked cars on their roads, according to data published by the LGA (Local Government Association). The LGA, who represents local authorities across Britain, have disclosed that more than two million vehicles contain fraudulently adjusted odometer/speedometer readings.

Amazingly, clocking is NOT currently illegal in the UK, although a proposed EU ban is in the pipeline. The ban was due to be in place by May this year but was never introduced, leaving mileage “correction” experts free to advertise their services.

The public can avail of such services for as little as £100, once they agree to disclose said mileage change if selling (we very much doubt this happens), polluting the used car market with clocked vehicles.

The Telegraph newspaper reported that one recent council prosecution found that a van sold with 89,000 miles on the clock was actually found to have traveled more than 243,000 miles.

The latest figures from the LGA show that instances of clocking have increased by 25% between 2014 and 2016, with the knock-on cost to motorists estimated at £800 million per year in the UK.

One in 16 vehicles checked now has a mileage discrepancy, The Telegraph reported, meaning that there could be 2.3 million clocked and “potentially dangerous cars” on UK roads.

Clocked UK Cars – Words from Cap HPI

Speaking to am-online.com Barry Shorto, head of industry relations at Cap HPI said: “The increase in mileage-related finance arrangements such as PCP and PCH may also be a contributing factor as motorists look to bring down their mileage count to within contracted levels and avoid paying penalties for excess mileage.”

Shorto added: “Our advice to dealers is not only should they make conducting mileage investigations an integral part of their business process to protect their reputation and their customers, but they must actively promote the fact that these checks have been done for customer peace of mind.”

“Proof of a mileage check needs to be a key part of a dealer’s sales strategy, promoting the quality of their stock, as well as highlighting the dangers of clocking for their customers.”

Avoid Clocked UK Cars – Check with Cartell

Cartell data has shown that 1 in 3 UK cars have a hidden history. In fact, below you can see the average number of Finance, Write-Off, and Mileage Alerts our UK Car Check provides to consumers, on a Monthly basis.

The above stats only prove the value of Cartell 3* Car Check, which examines the UK History as well as Irish.

Learn more about Three Star Check and make sure you don’t end up with a clocked UK car, get your Cartell Check here!

The post Record Number of Clocked UK Cars – Another Reason to get a Cartell Check appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (October 24th) on the profile of vehicles being imported into Ireland in 2018 and reports that Irish buyers are importing diesel vehicles in significant numbers.

Cartell.ie tracked the imported fleet in 2018 (all vehicles) between January 1^st and September 30^th (3 quarters) and found that the vast majority (76%) of vehicles currently imported into Ireland are diesel aspirated.  There has also been a significant jump in the numbers of Petrol/Electric Vehicles (+193%) and Electric Vehicles (+148%) over the past 12 months indicating these vehicles are finding their feet in the Irish market.

Graph 1: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Fuel Type (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 1: 2018 and 2017 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Fuel Type (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Makes and Models Imported

In terms of the manufacturer breakdown Ford returns the most numbers of vehicles (all types) imported in 2018. Ford is followed by Volkswagen and Audi with Toyota occupying fourth positon.

Table 2: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Manufacturer (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat)

The most popular model imported year-to-date is the VW Golf ahead of the Ford Focus.

Table 3: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Model (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Registration Year Imported and Segment

In 2018 the most popular year of import is a 4 year-old-vehicle (2014) neck and neck with a three-year-old vehicle (2015). These ages were also the most popular in 2017 although a three-year-old vehicle was more popular that year.  The most popular vehicle segment for imports is the C segment followed by the D segment – the same as for 2017.

Table 4: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Registration Year (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 5: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Segment (Source: Cartell Carstat)

John Byrne, General Counsel, Cartell.ie says:

This snapshot of the Irish market shows the Irish buyer is especially keen to import a diesel vehicle, usually a three or four-year-old and often a Focus, Golf, or Qashqai – models which have been consistently popular in the domestic market. The jump in the numbers of Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles being imported shows that buyers of those types of vehicles can see the value of importing and also points to a growth in the market for those vehicle types. Overall we would see imports remaining strong until at least the due date for Brexit in March 2019.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Graph 2: 2017 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Fuel Type (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 6: 2017 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Manufacturer (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 7: 2017 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Model (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 8: 2017 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Registration Year (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 9: 2017 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Segment (Source: Cartell Carstat)

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Large Numbers of Diesels Being Imported appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie report today (September 5^th) 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 5 vehicles.

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

John Byrne, 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. You also have the issue of driving style which can impact on wear and tear of components and can point to increased maintenance costs down the line. We are commonly seeing more owner changes for vehicles which are taxed at a higher rate – many owners simply find it difficult to justify paying high values for motor tax for older vehicles over long periods.”

Size of the Fleet

Cartell.ie also report today that the size of the fleet in Ireland (all vehicles) hit 3.2 million for the first time when it returned a number of 3,204,161 registered vehicles on 30^th July. The unprecedented size of the fleet presents issues for the road network and parking – particularly in urban areas.

John Byrne, General Counsel, Cartell.ie says:

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

ENDS

About Cartell.ie:

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post 17,363 Vehicles in Ireland have 10 owners or more appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Cartell.ie calculated the total value of new vehicles purchased in Ireland between the years 2006 and 2018 based on the recommended Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) for each vehicle and summing them up. The company divided the total value for each year by the number of new vehicles sold that year to establish the average value per buyer.

Unsurprisingly, Cartell.ie found the average value of a new vehicle purchased fluctuated with the fortunes of the economy, so, in 2007 at the height of the boom the average value of a vehicle purchased was €28,106 which dropped to €24,758 in 2011 before increasing steadily every year since then as the economy improved. In 2016 the average value of a new vehicle was already back to boom time levels recording €28,385 while in 2017 the value had ticked up 4% to €29,481.

For the first 6 months of 2018 the average value has now hit €30,000 returning a figure of €30,130: the first 6 months of 2017 recorded €29,391 before ending the year on €29,481. This shows the average Irish buyer is now buying a vehicle worth €30,000 for the first time since Cartell.ie started recording these statistics.

Table 1: Average value of new private vehicle bought in Ireland 2006 – 2017 (Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

Inflation

Adjusted for inflation the figure recorded for average value for the 12 months ending 1^st January 2018 (€27,786) is higher than the figure recorded for the average value in 2006 (€26,997) – right in the middle of the boom.

Table 2: Inflation adjusted average value of new private vehicle bought in Ireland 2006 – 2017

Table 3: Average value of new private vehicle bought in Ireland (Jan to June, i.e. 6-month period) 2013 – 2018 (Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

 
Why has the average value been increasing?

Cartell.ie considered several possible reasons for the increase in the average value of a private vehicle purchased in Ireland over the last several years:

• Consumers may be opting for more expensive vehicles, or more expensive vehicle types like SUVs and Crossover vehicles, or MPVs
• Buyer has more cash to spend or more available lines of credit. Financial products such as Personal Contract Plans (PCPs) came to prominence in Ireland during the recession as manufacturers sought a means to provide direct lines of credit to potential buyers
• Buyers may want larger cars. The country had a recorded population of 4.23 million in Census 2006 which increased to 4.76 million in Census 2016. This increase may have weighed on buyer decisions, for instance, buyers with younger children may need additional space
• Vehicles are more expensive to manufacture, to comply with NCAP safety ratings, for example, this increases the cost of manufacture: the consumer now often expects certain higher specification items as standard too – larger wheels, alloys, on-board technology, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features – which all increase the manufacture cost
• Increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles (where technology is more expensive to implement) could be making an impact, along with changes in buyer habits to more environmentally friendly vehicles, and guided generally by the move to city-clean air policies.
• Vehicles in the current generation often weigh more than for previous generations to accommodate additional safety systems

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie said:

The buyer of a new vehicle is getting more features than ever before, more technology, more safety, for example. The buyer has also shown an appetite for other features which manufacturers are increasingly rolling out as standard such as alloy wheels and electric windows. Combined, these features increase manufacturing costs and push average values upwards. The buyer may also be opting for more expensive cars owing to more readily available lines of credit or simply because buyers are keen to buy a larger car when fuel economy and motor taxation figures have dropped so significantly across the board.

Buyers have different buying habits: some will enter the market with an open mind and opt for the best available deal within their budget; while others will be keen to opt for the same manufacturer or the same model.

Remember this study is considering average values of new private vehicles based on the Open Market Selling Price: we are not looking at the price actually paid by the buyer: the actual deals struck between the buyer and the seller will vary widely to account for discounts, sales events, and trade-in values for example.”

ENDS

About Cartell.ie:

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Notes to Editor:

1. While compiling these figures Cartell assessed, for all the years, the Open Market Selling Price for each vehicle purchased, based on the Jato List price.
2. Rates of inflation are CPI
3. The study deducted public grants and VRT rebates for environmentally friendly vehicles such as Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (EVs/PHEVs).
4. The values given for New Private Sales in the Tables are those successfully matched to the OMSP

The post Average Value of New Private Vehicle more than €30,000 appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie reports today (March 14^th) that fuel efficiency for vehicles in Ireland has increased significantly yet Ireland still faces stiff EU penalties for increased carbon emissions.

Cartell.ie examined fuel efficiency figures for all new vehicles sold in Ireland between 1998 and 2017. Over that time efficiency has increased by 35 per cent from 6.98 litres per 100KMs in 1998 (“l/100”) to 4.53 l/100 in 2017. The largest increase was recorded between 2007 and 2017 when efficiency figures jumped from 6.56 (l/100) to 4.53 (l/100) an increase in efficiency of 31 per cent. This coincides with the Government’s Carbon Budget in 2007 and the change in the Motor Taxation regime for 2008 to benefit vehicles which produce less CO₂. A corollary of that is to confer a benefit on vehicles which are more fuel efficient as increased efficiency leads to production of less CO₂.

Graph 1: Average Private Consumption by Year in Ireland (Source: Cartell, Carstat)

It has been reported recently that Ireland faces significant fines for a “serious rise in Irish greenhouse gas emissions” – which has been partly attributed to the transport sector where emissions increased by 3.7 per cent in 2016. Yet fuel efficiency figures for new cars improved by 2.2 per cent between 2015 and 2016.  Cartell.ie earlier reported to the media that the average annualised mileage travelled by a car 5 years-of-age or less in 2016 was 21,028 KMs. This represented an increase of 7.1 per cent over the equivalent figure for 2008 (19,635 KMs). So, while our vehicles are more fuel efficient we are using them more – this is resulting in our increased levels of CO₂.

EU Emissions Target

In terms of our EU targets: the average emissions level of a new car sold in Europe in 2016 was 118.1 grams of CO₂ per kilometre (g CO₂/km), significantly below the target of 130 g. In Ireland the average emissions level for a new car sold in 2016 was even lower at 113 g CO₂/km. However, the value for cars imported in 2016 was 118 g CO₂/km and this actually increased to 120 g CO₂/km for cars imported in 2017. It will be a source of frustration for the Government that while we easily surpassed the EU emissions target (and the EU average) for new vehicle sales in 2016, we still face significant penalties in 2020, due to our overall production of CO₂ – largely attributable to economic growth.

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie says:

While our vehicles are 31 per cent more fuel efficient than they were in January 2008 we are using them more. This has obviously led to an increase in our carbon footprint and Ireland is facing heavy fines – partly due to the transport sector. Vehicles imported into Ireland are also producing more CO₂ than vehicles purchased new in Ireland. Overall the Government will be disappointed: we easily surpassed the EU emissions target in 2016 but still face heavy penalties.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Table 1: Average Consumption by Year – All Fleet (including imports) (Source: Cartell Carstat)

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ieor check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Vehicles more Fuel Efficient yet Ireland faces Carbon Penalty appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Cartell.ie tracked the size of the fleet (both native fleet and imported fleet) on the first day of each month between January 1999 and January 2018. Between January 2017 and January 2018 the imported fleet has increased in size from 444,217 to 487,492 (+43,275). For the equivalent period the native fleet has declined from 1,838,573 to 1,784,716 (-53,857).

Graph 1: Size of Private Fleet, Native fleet, Imports 1999 to 2018 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

The size of the fleet oscillates throughout the year as vehicles leave the fleet and others enter (new and imported). However the decline in size of the native fleet since September has been particularly notable.

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says:

The impact of imports has been noticeable in 2017 as owners retire native vehicles and look to replace them with imported vehicles in ever increasing numbers. We would see imports remaining strong in 2018 alongside a curb in demand for new diesel vehicles. While hybrid and electric vehicle sales will continue to dominate headlines with analysts waiting for a headwind to bring in larger numbers of sales it’s still likely the dominate theme for 2018 will be imports.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Table 1: Size of Native Fleet and Imported Fleet – 2017 to 2018 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

Table 2: Size of Native Fleet and Imported Fleet – Jan 1999 to Jan 2018 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Native Irish Fleet Lowest Since 2006 – As Imports Soar appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (2^nd January) that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is 14.3% – up from 12.5% in July 2017 and 11.5% in January 2017. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell.ie website in 2017 it was found that overall levels of finance have increased 24.3% in 12 months since January and 51% in 18 months since June 2016 when the rate recorded was 9.5%.

Graph 1: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says:

In terms of the overall picture 14.3% of all vehicles checked with Cartell.ie so far in 2017 have finance outstanding. This is up from 11.5% in January and 9.5% in June 2016. These are very significant jumps. To give you some idea where we are coming from the levels of finance outstanding was 7% in December 2014 meaning the rate has doubled in three years. A buyer is advised to check a vehicle for outstanding finance as the finance house owns the vehicle until the last payment has been made – the bottom line is that you can lose the vehicle.”

ENDS

About Cartell.ie:

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Notes to Editor

Table 1: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

The post Finance Levels Rise Again – now 14.3% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (November 29^th) that the age of the fleet in Ireland is falling while the size of the imported fleet reaches an all-time high.

Cartell.ie first tracked the average age of all native private vehicles in Ireland (excluding imports) for each month between 1999 and 2017. Between January 2017 and November 2017 the fleet age has fallen by 75 days. Next Cartell.ie tracked the age of imported vehicles into Ireland for each month between 1999 and 2017 and found that between January 2017 to November 2017 the age of the imported Irish fleet has fallen by 112 days as buyers are bringing in newer vehicles.

Graph 1: Age of Private Fleet, Native fleet, Imports 1999 to 2017 (Source: Cartell Carstat)

The overall age of the imported fleet has fallen in 2017 but still stands higher than the native fleet. The age of the native fleet currently stands at 8.62 years while the age of the imported fleet stands at 9.02 years: which is the youngest recorded age for the imported fleet since July 2011. The overall age of the private fleet in Ireland (native and imported) stands at 8.7 years (3,181 days): representing a decline of 80 days since January 2017.

Cartell.ie next looked at the size of the imported fleet in Ireland for every month between 1999 and 2017 and found that the size of the imported fleet is now at an all-time high with 480,606 vehicles registered in Ireland after previous registration in a different country. The size of the private fleet (native and imported) stood at 2,289,922 on 1^st November 2017.

John Byrne, Legal & Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says:

The size of the private fleet in Ireland continues to grow but the age is declining: imports are reducing the age of the Irish fleet as buyers move up the years and bring in a car from the UK. Possibly buyers are importing newer vehicles without retiring older vehicles in the fleet – this may explain why the age is declining while the size is still increasing. The imported fleet now stands at nearly half a million vehicles. Buyers should be careful when importing a vehicle as it may carry a hidden history from another country – such as where the vehicle was previously written-off or still has finance outstanding on it, or was clocked.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Table 1: Size and Age of Private Fleet on 1^st November between 2006 and 2017

Table 2: Size and Age of Private Fleet on 1^st day of each month in 2017

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Age of Fleet Falls as Imports at all-time high appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

-11% of domestic vehicles recorded mileage discrepancies (clocked or suspicious)

– 18.43% of imported vehicles recorded mileage discrepancies (clocked or suspicious)

1 in 10 second hand cars for sale in Ireland has a false mileage displayed according to the largest study of its kind ever conducted. The figure is even worse for cars imported from the UK where nearly 1 in 5 has an unreliable or questionable mileage reading.

The study was carried out by Cartell.ie in co-operation with AA Ireland. Over 120,000 vehicles were checked on the Cartell.ie database, which is the most complete vehicle database in the country. Cartell.ie provides data searches and history checks, including for AA Ireland, and uniquely has full access to UK data, write-off data and other information for both jurisdictions.

The results show that “clocking” is widespread in the market locally and is worse for potential buyers of UK vehicles.

Cartell.ie and AA Ireland examined a random sample of 60,047 vehicle history checks on Irish vehicles carried out recently by potential buyers. Of those checks 11.04% returned mileage discrepancies (6634/60047) – which would each require further investigation to establish if the vehicle had been “clocked” in a given case.

In addition, a supplementary study which examined a random sample of 64,742 vehicles which displayed at least two mileage readings on the National Mileage Register (NMR), where at least one entry was added in the last 12 months, found that 11.15% of these vehicles had a mileage discrepancy.

The supplementary study also examined a random sample of 13,026 imported vehicles (vehicles which currently display an Irish registration but previously had a UK or Northern Ireland plate) which displayed at least two mileage readings on the NMR and one entry in the last 12 months. This aspect of the study found that imported vehicles were significantly more likely to have been clocked, with 18.43% of the imported cars assessed as having a mileage discrepancy.

These results represent a rise in the overall numbers of both domestic and imported vehicles recording a mileage discrepancy since the enactment of legislation criminalising the practice in 2014.

In 2013 the Government reviewed the NCT mileages on 59,528 cars and found that 9.8% of those returned lower mileages on a subsequent test – in other words returned a mileage discrepancy. Those vehicles would have all been at least 4 years old and this may have impacted on the result.

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says:

We wanted to get a clear picture of the extent of “clocking” in Ireland both with respect to domestic vehicles and imports. Based on an overall study of more than 120,000 vehicles these results are very concerning: on the Irish side we are painting a picture worse than the Government did when they conducted their own research in 2013 when they returned a rate of 9.8%. More worrying still is the situation with respect to imports – at 18.43% this rate is alarming. We would encourage anyone who is importing a vehicle to conduct a vehicle history check before buying and take your time with respect to the purchase of any new vehicle.”

Commenting on the report’s findings Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs at AA Ireland stated, “Clocking is a very serious issue and something that anyone looking at purchasing a second hand car, whether in Ireland or from the UK, needs to watch out for. For example, our AA Rescue team regularly encounter car breakdowns which can be directly connected back to mileage discrepancies in the car. If a car has been clocked it’s highly likely that the car also has a questionable service history so, for example, a motorist could think their car isn’t due a service for another few months but then suddenly find their timing belt has snapped.”

“Repairing damage associated with car clocking can be very expensive and it’s also more likely that someone who owns a clocked car will experience a breakdown. Anyone looking at purchasing a second hand car in the near future, particularly if it’s a UK import should consider their breakdown assistance options to ensure they avoid any lengthy delays in the hard shoulder,” Faughnan added. Clocking is now a criminal offence in the Republic of Ireland pursuant to section 14 of the Road Traffic Act 2014. Cartell had long campaigned for the introduction of such an offence. In 2010, Cartell presented to the Dáil draft legislation which sought to criminalise the practice. That legislation was initially rejected by the Government but a modified version of it was subsequently moved as a Private Members Bill in December 2012. The Government then decided to move on the issue.

ENDS

Some of the media coverage for this story:

RTE.ie: False mileage now major issue with second-hand cars

NMR.ie: NMR Data used for Ireland’s largest mileage discrepancy study

The Irish Mirror: Car ‘clocking’ surges in Ireland as one in 10 second-hand cars are displaying false mileage

Irish Examiner: 10% of used cars have false mileage displayed

The Avondhu weekly: Clocking surges in Ireland

Connacht Tribune: 10% of used cars ‘clocked’

Breaking News: Study reveals full extent of suspected ‘clocking’ among second-hand cars for sale in Ireland

Notes to Editors

The Government / NCT study result was published in the Irish Independent on 01/04/2013 available here: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/nct-check-will-uncover-clocked-cars-in-new-plan-29166099.html

Cartell also conducted a final study where we looked at 25,140 vehicles checked recently on Cartell.ie on their UK or Northern Ireland plate. The percentage of mileage discrepancies returned was high at 21.66% (5447/25140). These vehicles may not have been imported into Ireland and for that reason the result was not considered part of the primary findings. The high percentage may be explained that potential buyers were running checks on vehicles which had already raised their suspicions – e.g. because of a low selling price.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

The post Updated- “Clocking” Surges in Ireland appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie reports today (16^th August) on the numbers of Diesel Euro 4 (EU4) emission standard vehicles and below in the Irish fleet that could be entitled to a trade-in bonus.

With reports in the media that some vehicle manufacturers are set to introduce diesel scrappage schemes to incentivise the roll-out of electric mobility and low emission vehicles, Cartell found the total number of private diesel cars in the Irish fleet EUR 4 (EU4) or below (which would be eligible for such schemes) is currently 474,624.

Graph 1: Private Diesel-powered Cars in Irish Fleet by EU Emission Standard – EU4 and below (Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

Table 1: Private Diesel-powered Cars in Irish Fleet by EU Emission Standard – EU4 and below by Registration Year (Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

Jeff Aherne, Director Engineer, Cartell.ie says:

Vehicle manufacturers such as BMW are clearly making moves to take older diesel-powered-vehicles off the road. We feel the market has reached tipping point now and the consumer is ready to adopt low emission vehicles if the incentives are there. The numbers we are publishing today show the manufacturers can make considerable inroads by focusing simply on EU4 emission standard vehicles and below where there are almost half a million vehicles in play.”

ENDS

Example of Diesel Scrappage Scheme

https://www.bmw.ie/en/topics/fascination-bmw/BMWLowEmissions.html

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/ireland/article/detail/T0273590EN/bmw-ireland-announces-lower-emissions-allowance

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post 475,000 Irish Diesel Owners could get Trade-In Bonus appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

In the case of one-year-old vehicles (2016) the levels of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding has risen from 31.58% for the full year 2016 to 36.83% so far in 2017 – representing an increase of 16.62%. This means there is now almost a two-in-five chance of a one-year-old vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Similarly in the case of two-year-old vehicles (2015) there is a 32.64% chance of a vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding based on checks on Cartell.ie in 2017.

Graph 1: Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance by Registration Year checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

 Graph 2: Historic Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

Statistics published by Cartell.ie indicate that buyers have a one-in-three chance (33%) of purchasing a three-year-old vehicle (2014) with finance outstanding. Even older vehicles are regularly offered for sale with finance outstanding – 8.97% of all 2010 registered vehicles offered for sale had outstanding finance against them. 

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

33% of all three-year-old vehicles (2014) checked so far this year on Cartell.ie have finance outstanding. This is up from 26.8% of three-year-old vehicles (2013) checked last year on the site. The rise is probably due to expiring PCPs where owners are testing the market to see if they can return a higher price than the Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV) guaranteed by the dealer.

What’s really concerning is that 34% of all vehicles registered in the last three years are offered for sale with finance outstanding.

In terms of the overall picture 12.5% of all vehicles checked with Cartell.ie so far in 2017 have finance outstanding. This is up from 11.5% in January and 9.5% in June 2016. These are very significant jumps. A buyer is advised to check a vehicle for outstanding finance as the finance house owns the vehicle until the last payment has been made – the bottom line is that you can lose the vehicle.”

ENDS

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Finance Levels Way Up as PCPs expire and hit the market appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie reports today (8th February) that used transactions for private cars were in excess of 1 million transactions in 2016 – the highest level since Cartell.ie started recording results.

Cartell.ie considered all transactions for private cars (including imports) in the market in 2016 including private to private sales, imported by private, trade to trade sales, trade-ins, and trade to private transactions. The total number of transactions for the year was 1,014,376 up from 943,995 in 2015 (+7%).

Cartell.ie next examined the total number of transactions in the used market for all vehicle types and found that 2016 had been a record year with 1,200,695. This was up from 1,125,816 in 2015 (+7%).

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie says:

The used vehicle market had a record year in 2016. We recorded over 1 million transactions for private cars – the first time we have reached this milestone since Cartell.ie started recording results. Overall the used market was up 7% year-on-year and we anticipate further growth in 2017.

ENDS

Note to Editor:

Most Popular Models by Transaction in 2016 vs 2015 (used cars including imports)

(Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Used Car Market Breaks One Million in 2016 appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (5^th January) that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is 11.5% – up from 9.5% in June 2016. Cartell.ie also reports that more vehicles for certain key registration years are being offered for sale with finance outstanding than 2015. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell.ie website in 2016, the figures show that almost one-in-three registered in the last three years are offered for sale with finance outstanding.

In the case of one-year-old vehicles (2015) the levels of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding has risen from 26.7% for the equivalent period in 2015 to 31.5% in 2016 – representing an increase of 18%. This means there is now almost a one-in-three chance of a one-year-old vehicle bring offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Similarly in the case of two-year-old vehicles (2014) there is a 28% chance of a vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Graph 1: Percentage of Vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding (Source: Cartell.ie, Carstat)

Statistics published by Cartell.ie indicate that buyers have almost a one-in-three chance (27%) of purchasing a three-year-old vehicle (2013) with finance outstanding. Even older vehicles are regularly offered for sale with finance outstanding – 8.1% of all 2010 registered vehicles offered for sale had outstanding finance against them. 

Graph 2: Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance by Registration Year checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Cartell.ie, Carstat)

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

Finance levels for cars offered for sale which are less than 3 years old are over 30%. This means a buyer in the market for a relatively new car needs to be particularly careful. The rising levels of finance for newer cars may be attributable to the prominence of PCPs – but remember the impact for a potential buyer is the same: the finance house owns the vehicle until the last payment is made. You can lose the car if you purchase it with finance outstanding. Overall finance levels are rising again. Cartell warned the market in 2015 that finance levels had bottomed out – and would rise. We anticipate levels reaching or even surpassing 13% in 2017.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Table 1: Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance by Registration Year checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Finance Levels Up since June – now 11.5% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history expert CARTELL.IE reports today (November 16) that annual mileage in newer cars is increasing as the country recovers. The average annualised mileage travelled by a car 5 years-of-age or less (“newer cars”) in 2016 is 21,028 KMs. This represents an increase of 7.1% over the equivalent figure for 2008 (19,635 KMs).

Cartell.ie compared the average annual mileage in 2008 of private cars registered between 2003 and 2008 and compared the results to the average annual mileage in 2016 of private cars registered between 2011 and 2016. The results showed that vehicles in the second range were driven more – up 1,398 KMs.

The study considered various possible reasons for the increase:

• A buyer shift towards diesel engines over the second date range (2011 to 2016) may have contributed. Diesel vehicles are generally more economical and individuals may have felt encouraged to use their vehicle more buoyed by lower costs;
• Finance was less readily available in the market for some in the second date range (2011 to 2016) so buyers of newer vehicles then may have had a more definite purpose for their use, eg work;
• Two-car-households are possibly using the newer car for longer journeys as it is more economical.

John Byrne, Legal and PR Manager, Cartell.ie says:

What makes the results interesting is that between 2003 and 2008 the economy was performing well throughout most of that period so we might have been expecting to see a decline in mileage in newer cars since then. It’s difficult to say with certainty why we’re seeing an increase. Possibly the buying trend towards diesel engines has encouraged buyers to use their car more – buoyed by the fact that costs are lower relatively. Another possibility is that finance in the market may have been harder to obtain for some between 2011 and 2016 and those who purchased a newer car then may have had a more definite purpose in mind for their use – work purposes for example.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Mileage data courtesy National Mileage Register (NMR.IE -which contains more than 20 million mileage readings for the fleet)

Chart 1: Average Annualised Mileage for Private Fleet (Cars 5 years old or less) in KMs

(Source: Cartell Carstat)

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post New Cars Driving More Miles than Pre-Recession (up 7%) appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history expert CARTELL.IE reports today (August 10^th) that the age of the fleet in Ireland continues to rise while the size of the fleet appears to have levelled off.

Cartell.ie tracked the average age of a private vehicle in Ireland in January of every year between 2000 and 2016. Between January 2015 and January 2016 the fleet age has risen by 40 days. This is despite the fact that the age of the fleet had slowed markedly last year – recording just an 11 day rise between January 2014 and January 2015.

While more new cars have been sold this year than last year there is no indication it is yet impacting on the overall age of the fleet. In July 2016 the age of the fleet stood at 8.85 years which is actually older than the comparable level from 2014 (8.69 years) and significantly older than the age of the fleet in July 2012 (8.13 years). Year-over year the age of the fleet in July 2016 is marginally lower than July 2015 (8.86 years).

Graph 1: Size and Age of Private Fleet since 1999 (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

While the age of the fleet continues to creep upwards the size of the fleet shows signs of levelling off. Currently at 2.23 million vehicles the private fleet size in July 2016 is the same as the size of the fleet 12 months ago.

John Byrne, Legal & Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says:

The age of the fleet is continuing to creep upwards based on this analysis. The age fluctuates throughout the year as cars enter and leave the fleet but analysing the age in January of every year since 2000 shows our cars are still getting older. Interestingly, the size of the private fleet is levelling off. This indicates market potential for manufacturers to sell more new vehicles as vehicle owners, solely based on this analysis, are still more inclined to retain an older vehicle than buy a newer model.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Age of Fleet Pushes Upwards – Size Levels-Off appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history expert CARTELL.IE welcomes today (14^th July) news that Minister for Transport, Shane Ross, yesterday brought new legislation to cabinet which will compel insurers to notify his Department of Category A and Category B write-offs.

At present a voluntary system of notification is in place but for years Cartell.ie has called for regulation which will place the procedure on a statutory footing.

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

We welcome this initiative which is a necessary step in the Government’s efforts to make our roads safer. Since 2007 Cartell.ie has campaigned for regulation of written-off vehicles in Ireland to obligate insurers to notify the Department of Transport where a vehicle has been written-off. While the proposals which have been submitted to cabinet are confined to Category A and Category B write-offs – which are the most serious types – we would like to see this obligation extend in future to other write-off classifications.”

Cartell.ie Initiatives

In 2007, Cartell.ie released a report to Government which showed that a significant number of serious write-offs, Category A and Category B vehicles, had returned to roads despite the assessment of automotive engineers, working for an Irish insurer, that the vehicles should never again return to the road. That report resulted in an initiative by the Department of Transport to track down those vehicles and attempt to take them off the road as well as an accompanying initiative to encourage insurers to notify the Department where vehicles are designated as Category A or Category B.

In 2008, Cartell.ie released a report to Government which showed that a significant number of UK write-offs were being imported into the State without undergoing any sort of inspection. These were then sold onto unsuspecting members of the public.

In response to the 2008 report the government mandated the NCT to check all UK imports from 2010. However this is only a visual inspection and these written-off vehicles should be fully inspected.

In 2010, Cartell.ie launched the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register (MIAFTR) which stores details from Irish insurers on vehicles written-off in the Republic of Ireland as well as permitting Irish customers to track vehicles written-off in the United Kingdom.

In 2014 Cartell.ie called publicly for regulation of written-off vehicles in Ireland and then Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar informed the Dáil that the Government would address the issue.

Earlier this year Cartell.ie reported that 10.75% of all UK imports registered in Ireland over a 6-month-period in 2015 were previously written-off in the UK.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The ABI Total Loss Categories (‘Write-Off’)

Category A: Scrap only – The vehicle has not been repaired following extreme damage. It was deemed too damaged to be repairable with little or no salvageable parts.

Category B: The bodyshell should have been crushed.  The vehicle has not been repaired following significant damage. It was deemed too damaged to be repairable however did have salvageable parts.

Category C: This vehicle was repairable, but the repair costs exceeded the vehicle value. The insurer chose not to repair for economic reasons.

Category D: This vehicle was repairable, but the repair costs were significant compared to the vehicle value. The insurer chose not to repair for economic reasons.

The post Cartell Welcomes Regulation for Written-Off Vehicles appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history expert CARTELL.IE reports today (29^th June) that the numbers of used vehicles imported into Ireland this year are up 22% on last year.

In the month of May imports surged by 51.23% compared to the same month last year. Likewise in April imports were up by 39% compared with April 2015. Imports were marginally down (-4.74%) in January compared to the same month last year but were up in February (+7.8%) and have climbed since then.

BREXIT

In the wake of Brexit Cartell.ie also reports on the impact of the value of Sterling on imports into Ireland and concludes that the value of Sterling does directly impact the age of the vehicle imported into Ireland but does not significantly impact the volume of vehicles imported.

Age of Imports

Cartell.ie looked at the age of used vehicles imported into Ireland. The average age of a vehicle imported into Ireland in 2016 is 5.19 years which is lower than the average age in 2015 (5.26 years).

Cartell.ie considered the average age of imports between 2002 and 2016 and found a correlation between the price of Sterling and the average age of a vehicle imported.  For instance, when Sterling dropped to an average value of €1.12 in 2009 (from €1.25 the previous year) the average age of a vehicle also dropped from 5.88 years to 4.9 years. Conversely in 2015 when the average price rose €0.13 from €1.24 to €1.37 the average age of a vehicle imported also rose (from 4.91 years to 5.26 years). In fact, the value of Sterling directly impacts on the average age of a vehicle imported.

Graph 1: Average Age of Vehicle imported and Average Price of Sterling (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

Impact of Sterling on Volume of Imports

In July 2015 Cartell published results of a study which looked at sterling prices over a 7-year-period and found that sterling prices generally speaking did not influence the numbers of used vehicles imported into Ireland. The study found that Irish vehicle buyers are relatively insensitive to higher than average sterling prices – defined as a price above €1.20. In May 2015 the average price of Sterling was stronger than average at €1.38. In May 2016 the average price of Sterling had fallen to €1.26 but still ran higher than the running average price of €1.20. That shows the surge in imports in May 2016 cannot be attributed to weaker-than-average Sterling prices. Likewise the study found there was no rush by Irish buyers to import vehicles when sterling was low.

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

The results show that buyers looking abroad for a bargain are on a budget. When Sterling prices are weaker we are buying younger cars, and conversely when Sterling prices are stronger the Irish buyer is importing older vehicles. Interestingly we found no strong connection between the value of Sterling and the actual numbers of vehicles imported into Ireland over a 7-year-period – but this study shows that Sterling does still impact the Irish market. ”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Table 1: Average Age of Vehicle imported and Average Price of Sterling (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

Table 2: Numbers of Imports (All vehicles) 2016 vs 2015 (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

The Cartell study from July 2015 on impact of Sterling values on volumes of imports into Ireland can be found here:

https://www.cartell.ie/2016/06/sterling-not-a-major-factor-for-imports/

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Used Imports into Ireland up 22% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (8^th June) that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is 9.5%. Cartell.ie also reports that more vehicles for certain key registration years are being offered for sale with finance outstanding than last year. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell.ie website in 2016, the figures show that 29% registered in the last three years are offered for sale with finance outstanding.

In the case of one-year-old vehicles (2015) the levels of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding has risen from 23% for the equivalent period last year to 27% in 2016 – representing an increase of 17%. This means there is now more than a one-in-four chance of a one-year-old vehicle bring offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Similarly in the case of two-year-old vehicles (2014) there is a 28% chance of a vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Graph 1: Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance by Registration Year checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

Statistics published by Cartell.ie indicate that buyers have almost a one-in-three chance (30%) of purchasing a three-year-old vehicle (2013) with finance outstanding. Even older vehicles are regularly offered for sale with finance outstanding – 7.9% of all 2010 registered vehicles offered for sale had outstanding finance against them. 

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says: “Finance levels for cars offered for sale which are less than 3 years old are around 30%. This means a buyer in the market for a relatively new car needs to be particularly careful. The rising levels of finance for newer cars may be attributable to the prominence of PCPs – but remember the impact for a potential buyer is the same: the finance house owns the vehicle until the last payment is made. You can lose the car if you purchase it with finance outstanding. Overall finance levels are rising again. Cartell warned the market in 2015 that finance levels had bottomed out – and would rise.”

Graph 2: Percentage of Vehicles checked on Finance (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Table 1: Percentages of Vehicles with Outstanding Finance by Registration Year checked on Cartell.ie (Source: Carstat, Cartell.ie)

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Finance Levels Up as PCPs impact market appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Follow-Up to RTÉ Prime Time Programme

Vehicle history expert CARTELL.IE reports today (11^th May) on the actual numbers of written-off vehicles imported into Ireland from the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015. In a first-of-its-kind analysis – which follows-up on last night’s RTÉ Prime Time programme – Cartell reports that 10.75% of all UK imports registered in Ireland over a 6-month-period in 2015 were previously written off in the UK.

Cartell.ie examined 29,089 imports registered in Ireland in 2015 (taxed private or untaxed) and found that 10.75% of those examined were written-off in the UK. In the case of untaxed imports, vehicles which had been registered in Ireland in 2015 but were not yet taxed, that percentage shot up to 12.6%. In the case of taxed (private) imports the percentage was 10.4% written-off in the UK.

Graph 1: 2015 Imports by Age and Write-Off Rate (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

Cartell.ie next examined the year of registration in the UK of each vehicle imported to examine which years were more likely to be written-off prior to importation. Cartell found that in the case of an imported 6 to 7-year-old vehicle 18.2% had been written-off in the UK. That percentage increased to 20.8% for a 7 to 8-year-old vehicle and 21.2% for an 8 to 9-year-old vehicle. In fact a consumer stands more than a one-in-five chance of importing a written-off 7 to 12-year-old vehicle.

Written-Off Category B

Cartell.ie also found UK Category B written-off vehicles are still making their way into the Irish fleet. A vehicle written-off as Category B is designated as parts salvageable only and is not meant to be on the road. During the period of research 26 vehicles were registered in Ireland after attribution of Category B status in the UK. 16 of those 26 had already been taxed in Ireland.

No Category A vehicle was imported into Ireland in 2015 during the period considered by the study.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Chart 1: Imported “Taxed” (Private) Vehicles into Ireland from UK (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

Chart 2: Write-off Categories of Imported “Taxed” (Private) Vehicles into Ireland from UK (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

Chart 3: Write-off Categories of Imported “untaxed” Vehicles into Ireland from UK (Source: Carstat Cartell.ie)

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Written-Off UK Imports Prominent in Ireland appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

USED MARKET UP 5%

Vehicle History and Data expert Cartell.ie report today (26^th February) the market for both new and used vehicles is up in 2016 – the increase is significant in the case of new vehicle sales.

Total transactions for new vehicles stand at 64,718 in the year up to February 25. This compares to a figure of 52,065 for the equivalent stage last year which represents a market increase of 23%.

In the case of the used vehicle market transactions are also increased on last year’s volumes. The 2016 year-to-date figure for all transactions (all vehicles including imports) stands at 190,766. This compares to 181,520 for the equivalent stage in 2015 – a year which recorded a record number of transactions. The 2016 figure represents an increase of 5% over last year.

John Byrne, Cartell.ie says: “The new vehicle market shows clear signs of the anticipated upward growth over last year. January saw big upward movement as pre-orders from last year filtered through. Now we are seeing growth consolidated in February with a 23% year-over-year increase.”

END

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post New Vehicle Market up 23% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Used Market up 3%

Vehicle History and Data expert Cartell.ie report today (27^th January) the market for both new and used vehicles is up in 2016 – the increase is significant in the case of new vehicle sales.

Total transactions for new vehicles stand at 33,448 in the year up to January 24. This compares to a figure of 35,355 for the whole of January 2015 and a figure of 27,371 for the equivalent stage last year which represents a market incline of 22%.

In the case of the used vehicle market transactions are also increased on last year’s volumes. The 2016 year-to-date figure for all transactions (all vehicles including imports) stands at 72,527. This compares to 95,166 for the whole of January 2015 – a year which recorded a record number of transactions – and 70,607 for the equivalent time in January last year. The increase represents an upward swing of 3%.

John Byrne, Cartell.ie says: “Clearly these figures are indicative of the levels of anticipated growth for 2016. This is more evident in the case of new vehicles sales in January. The used market is also displaying an uptick and this comes off the back of record volumes of transactions in 2015.”

END

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post New Vehicle Market up 22% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history and data experts Cartell.ie report today (6^th January) that it expects 130,000 vehicles to leave the fleet in 2016, up 12% over last year, which presents an opportunity for the industry to sell more new vehicles.

Cartell.ie looked at the natural rate of attrition of the fleet by registration year (“retirements”) and concluded that more vehicles will leave the fleet this year in key registration years which recorded high numbers of new car sales in their day.

For example, Cartell.ie says market patterns indicate 16.5% (17,546) of all current privately registered vehicles from 2000 are expected to leave the fleet this year. There are still 106,339 privately registered vehicles from the year 2000 live in the fleet. The year 2000 was an all-time-record-year for new car sales.

A similar result was achieved for vehicles from registration years 1999 and 2001 as can be seen from the following table:

Table 1: Estimated number of Private/Hackney/Taxi “retirements” by registration year in 2016

(Source: Cartell.ie Carstat)

A number of factors will contribute to these retirements including the end of anti-corrosion warranties, the low market value of the vehicle, and the high cost of parts and labour relative to vehicle value. The reason larger numbers of vehicles will retire this year over last year is attributable to the larger number of new car sales in key years – the pool of vehicles set to retire is therefore larger.

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says:

If the industry is predicting new car sales of 150,000 units in 2016 based on existing levels of growth, demand, and natural market attrition, we would say that number could be even higher based on this research: we expect thousands more cars will retire from the fleet this year compared to last year and this leaves an opportunity for significantly improved new car sales – as owners shuffle up the market into newer vehicles. Obviously time will tell if the industry can capitalise on the opportunity these numbers present.”

END

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post 130,000 Private Cars Set To Leave Fleet in 2016 appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data experts CARTELL.IE report today (August 18) that luxury vehicles like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Bentley, feature in the list of vehicles issued a refund under the “VRT Export Repayment Scheme”.

So far in 2015 there have been 3,284 vehicles exported out of the State. Of those vehicles 556 (or 17%) had Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) refunded by the Government. Refund of VRT for exported vehicles is based on the “VRT Export Repayment Scheme” which allows for the repayment of “residual” VRT on passenger vehicles permanently exported from the State. The scheme commenced in 2013.

In total 4,474 vehicles were exported out of Ireland in 2014. Of those vehicles 968 (or 22%) had Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) refunded.

Luxury marques feature significantly in the list of vehicle’s issued a refund under the “VRT Export Repayment Scheme” since its commencement in 2013 including Ferrari (12), Lamborghini (2), Aston Martin (12), Bentley (13), and Porsche (32).

The average engine capacity of an exported vehicle under the Scheme is 2,951cc.

So far VRT refunds under the Scheme have been issued for 1,886 vehicles since it commenced in 2013.

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says:

Owners of vehicles from manufacturers like Ferrari and Aston Martin may see the VRT export repayment scheme as a win-win: they get a refund on residual VRT, which may be significant for a top-end car, and they also get to find a buyer for their vehicle in the larger UK market.”

In a separate study Cartell found that more than one-in-ten imported vehicles from the UK are written-off in the UK. So, while a lot of quality cars are leaving Ireland consumers are advised to check the history of UK cars before importing.

ENDS

For further information please contact John Byrne (Cartell.ie) on + 087 4199018 or email or check out www.cartell.ie for further information

The post Luxury Motor Vehicle Exodus appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (25 June 2015) that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is 9.6%. The levels of finance in the market place are rising fast – the equivalent figure for December 2014 was 7% – marking a significant rise of almost 40%. In April Cartell.ie predicted market finance levels had “bottomed out” and were on the rise. The results are based on finance checks carried out on Cartell.ie.

Cartell.ie also reports today that more vehicles for certain key registration years are being offered for sale with finance outstanding than last year. In the case of three-year-old vehicles (2012) the levels of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding has risen from 17.8% in end of year 2014 to 21.4% in the year-to-date in 2015. This means there is now more than a one-in-five chance of a three-year-old vehicle bring offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Similarly in the case of two-year-old vehicles (2013) there is a 19.1% chance of a vehicle being offered for sale with finance outstanding.

Statistics published by Cartell.ie indicate that buyers have more than a one-in-seven chance of purchasing a four-year-old vehicle (2011) with finance outstanding. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell.ie website in 2015, the figures show that 10.9% registered in 2010 are still on finance. Even older vehicles are regularly offered for sale with finance outstanding – 6.8% of all 2008 registered vehicles offered for sale had outstanding finance against them. 

John Byrne, Cartell.ie, says: “Finance levels are now rising fast since reaching a low of around 7% in December 2014. This creates a treacherous terrain for a used car buyer as those who may have risked a purchase in the past without checking if a vehicle has outstanding finance stand a far higher risk of getting caught out in the current market.”

Finance House Share of Market

Vehicle History Expert Cartell.ie also today releases information on the percentage share of the market of various finance houses offering lending facility for purchase of motor vehicles. The results show that manufacturer’s own banks (BMW Financial Services and VW Bank) have both risen significantly in prominence and now occupy the third and fourth position overall with a combined share of 30% of the overall market. The results are based on finance checks carried out on Cartell.ie in 2015.

Table 1: Percentage Share of the Market based on Finance Checks carried out on Cartell.ie (YTD 2015)

 John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says:

The market dynamics have changed significantly in the last 5 years. Banks such as BMW Financial Services and VW Bank – in-house banks which rose to prominence as a direct result of the negative impact of the recession on market liquidity – are now booming. These results may correlate with the increasing popularity of PCP in the marketplace.”

ENDS

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post Car Finance Levels Rising Fast appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history expert CARTELL.IE report today (April 17) that in Q1 2015 there have been 75,655 new vehicles sold. The number includes all new vehicles registered in the State in 2015 and includes private, hackney, taxi as well as light and heavy commercial vehicles and all other classes of vehicle. The figure represents a strong 32% increase over Q1 2014. The equivalent number for 2014 was 57,268.

Used Market

Vehicle history expert Cartell.ie also report today that in Q1 2015 there have been 303,750 used vehicle transactions (including imports) representing an 11% increase in activity in this market. The equivalent figure for Q1 2014 was 273,034. These figures include all used vehicle transactions including trade-to-trade, private-to-private, private-to-trade, and trade-to-private.  Cartell has been tracking used vehicle statistics steadily since 2010 to ensure accurate snapshots of year-over-year market milestones.

Jeff Aherne, Director, Cartell.ie, says:

2015 has already been a strong year for both the new vehicle market and the used vehicle market. The new vehicle market is up 32% while the overall level of transactions in the used vehicle market has advanced 11%. We see room for further growth in both markets this year.”

ENDS

Note for Editors

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post New Vehicle Sales up 32% : Used Market up 11% appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Vehicle history expert CARTELL.IE report today (January 28^th) that the age of the private fleet in Ireland has levelled off significantly for the first time in over 10 years. The age of the private fleet now stands at 8.83 years.

Cartell.ie tracked the average age of a private vehicle in Ireland in January of every year between 2000 and 2015. The difference between the age of the fleet in January 2014 and January 2015 (11 days) is the lowest increase recorded since 2001 and is a clear indicator that the age of the private fleet in Ireland may have levelled off. To put perspective on the figure of 11 days it should be noted that, as recently as January 2011, the age of fleet recorded a 168-day-increase year-on-year.

The news that the age of fleet has levelled off is a further sign that the vehicle industry is returning to normality. The result may have been sparked by a combination of events: new car sales are advancing after years of lost ground; and owners of older vehicles in the fleet may have held them for as long as possible before now up-cycling.

Jeff Aherne, Director, Cartell.ie, says:

These results are interesting. We’ve seen an aging private fleet year-upon-year since the record year for new car sales in 2000 when credit was widely available in the market and the economy was in good shape. Now, for the first time since that period, we are witnessing a levelling off. There comes a natural point when the age of the fleet must level off, as motor vehicle’s cannot last forever, and, increased new car sales, combined with up-cycling of vehicles in the used market, may have brought us to that point.”

The age of the whole Irish fleet, not simply private vehicle’s, now stands at 9.39 years.

Graph: Age of Private Fleet in Ireland 2000 to 2015

ENDS

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

Notes for Editors:

The post Age of Fleet Levels-Off as Car Industry in Recovery appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Average number of owners is 2.64 per vehicle

Vehicle history expert Cartell.ie report today (1^st January) there are 22,181 vehicles in Ireland that have 10 owners or more over the course of the lifetime of the vehicle. The highest number of owners recorded for a single vehicle is 34 owners. There are 177 vehicles with 17 owners, 45 vehicles have 19 owners, and 5 vehicles have 25 or more owners over the course of the lifetime of the vehicle.

Of those 22,181 vehicles with 10 or more owners, 5,385 are located in Dublin, 2,579 in Cork, 1,080 in Galway, and 1,042 in Limerick.

Table: Location by county of vehicle’s with 10 or more owners

 The majority of vehicles in Ireland are on their first, second or third owners. The graph below documents the number of ownership changes per vehicle in Ireland. It clearly shows the importance of establishing the number of owners when buying a used vehicle. The graph also shows that people do not change their vehicle on a whim as the results show the bulk of vehicle’s are still on their first, second, or third owner.

The average age of a vehicle in the Irish fleet (all vehicle types) is currently 9.38 years and the average number of owners is 2.64 owners per vehicle. This means the average sales cycle in Ireland is 3.55 years between ownership changes. When buying a vehicle the consumer should use this rule of thumb. Any less than 3 years between owner changes and a higher number of owners than 3 owners should impact on the selling price when buying a vehicle.

Cartell.ie Director Jeff Aherne says:

Obviously counting the number of previous owners and the dates of sale are a very important part of the history of a vehicle. The higher the number of owners the more important a car history check becomes. If the car has a higher number of owners, and, if it changed hands recently, then you have to question whether the vehicle has mechanical issues. Consumers can check the number of previous owners with us as part of the many checks we provide. If a car already has three owners then it is above average and this should impact on the selling price.”

Chart: Number of ownership changes per vehicle

ENDS

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.

For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie  for further information.

The post 22,181 vehicles in Ireland have 10 owners or more appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

An article in today’s Irish Independent advises consumers to service vehicles themselves and look at other cost saving options in a bid to keep household expenses down. John Cadden writes:

“It will probably come as no surprise to learn that our cars are getting older. After all, new car sales fell off a cliff in 2009, and only recovered last year thanks to the scrappage scheme, which ended in June. According to figures from car history checking website Cartell.ie, the average age of a car in Ireland has risen from less than six years old in January 2006 to 7.4 years in January 2011, with a month-by-month increase.”

Shane O’Donoghue, director of Completecar.ie, says: “People are holding onto their cars out of necessity and not, in my opinion, because they suddenly think that older cars are just fine now.”

The article continues by saying that skimping on the servicing of a vehicle is a false economy. It relies on anecdotal evidence from garages which suggests that while people are holding on to their cars for longer, many are putting off their service or repair work until something serious goes wrong – quoting the Society of the Motor Industry (SIMI).

The paper notes that  while the cost of maintaining a car begins to rise once it reaches four years old there are lots of ways to save money on running costs without skimping on essential maintenance.

Representatives for both SIMI and Completecar.ie are in agreement that cars are inherently more reliable today than they were 20 years ago. However, the downside of this is that with this advancement in technology cars have become complicated machines much too difficult for the average punter to service themselves.  Conversely, the complexity of cars which assists their reliability also means more things can go wrong with the car – catch22!

There are, however, lots of simple checks that can be done by the average motorist to save money:

“Before you bring your car to be serviced, check all the lights and fluid levels for yourself, as it’s easy to do and garages charge more than it would cost you to remedy anything for yourself,” says O’Donoghue.

Suzanne Sheridan, spokesperson for SIMI, says motorists can still carry out basic maintenance themselves on a regular basis, such as checking tyre pressure, thread depth, oil, coolant levels and so on, “which will all make the car run more smoothly and improve a car’s miles per gallon”.

The article also advises consumers intent on carrying out their own servicing to consult the Haynes manuals, still regarded as the bible of the DIY mechanic with its easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, which can be bought at Halfords or from online car parts retailer Micksgarage.ie for about €25-30 — well worth the money.

The article explores various other options for savings including savings on a major service, mobile mechanical services, and options for acquiring replacement parts cheaply.

The post Service Car Yourself to Avoid expense! appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Used Car History Check experts Cartell provided the newspaper with information showing the car fleet in Ireland is aging – there has been a significant shift in the last five years: in January 2006 the average age of a car with up-to-date motor tax in Ireland was less than 6 years. That figure had risen to 7.4 years at the start of this year. The statistics also showed a month-on-month increase over the entire period.

Reasons for the increase include the increased reliability of cars over time including the fact that significant rust issues are largely a thing of the past and the fact that drivers are consequently happier to hold onto cars longer. Other contributing factors include the drop in new car purchases  particularly in 2009 – which can be attributed to the global recession and credit crunch.

 Completecar.ie, who analysed the results, say the figures reflect a larger than normal number of used imports into the Republic of Ireland in 2009. In fact nearly half the total number of cars registered in Ireland in 2009 were used imports.

You can read more about the Cartell results here.

The post Cartell statistics feature in Sunday Independent appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Ireland’s population is aging. But it’s not just the good citizens of the State; it’s their cars too. That’s what the latest data released by official vehicle records experts, Cartell.ie reveals as we approach the final quarter of the year and car buyers consider their options for 2012.

In January 2006 the average age of a car in Ireland was less than six years old. By the start of 2011 this had risen to 7.4 years, with a month-by-month increase.

The simple reason for this is that significantly less new vehicles have been sold in Ireland since 2009. Cartell.ie’s data reveals a less well publicised factor, in that nearly half of the cars registered in Ireland in 2009 were in fact used imports. That too will age the overall fleet of cars in the country.

You don’t need to be an economist to know that the sharp drop in new car sales in 2009 was primarily to do with the credit crunch and an ensuing global recession. However, it’s believed that drivers are happier to hold onto their cars for longer too, as reliability and durability has improved dramatically in the past decade. Significant rust is a thing of the past too.

This is illustrated by the considerable number of cars on the road that were originally registered in the year 2000. That year saw the most registrations in Irish history, and nearly 220,000 cars from that year are included in the current national fleet.

During the boom times more people bought more cars, the effect being a larger overall fleet and more cars per capita than ever before. Now those cars are aging and, despite the scrappage scheme, less are being de-fleeted.

Figures for 2011 to the end of July suggest that there is a slow down in the aging process, with the average age of a car seemingly flattening out at a little less than 7.4 years. It’s too early to tell for sure if the scrappage scheme has had an effect on that, though Cartell.ie’s data to the end of 2012 will surely answer that question.

What does this mean for the Irish economy? Well an aging fleet requires more maintenance and more NCTs so it will sustain those industries and jobs, though if new car sales remain suppressed the downside is fewer jobs in retail and a lower overall tax take.

About Cartell.ie

Cartell.ie’s tagline, “You find the car… We’ll tell the story” says it all. Following a free car identity check a buyer has a choice of four different reports on the history of the car they are considering buying. It ranges from a useful history and mileage check to a report that also looks for any outstanding finance in Ireland or the UK. Cartell.ie even offers an engineer inspection. Thousands of Euros may be saved by using this service.

About CompleteCar.ie

Along with the delivery of concise test drives and news, our experts are at your disposal to assist with any motoring matter. Most importantly, our advice is completely free and independent. Visit CompleteCar.ie for more information.

The post Irish cars getting older appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Average Mileage in Ireland: Some Statistics Courtesy of the NMR

One query we get from time-to-time from consumers concerns the average mileage for a vehicle in Ireland. Understandably potential buyers want to know whether the mileage on the vehicle they are considering buying is more or less than the national average. So the question arises: what is the average mileage in Ireland?

Sustanable Energy Ireland (SEI) were first to reliably report average mileage statistics back all the way back in 2006 which they based on NCT data. They found that:

• In 2005 the average annual mileage of all cars was 16,894 kilometres (10,498 miles) per car
• Petrol cars were found to have an average annual mileage of 15,969 kilometres (9,923 miles)
• Diesel cars, as would be expected, had a higher figure of 23,817 kilometres (14,799 miles)

The SEI article makes for interesting reading: it refers to previous anecdotal evidence which suggested that the average mileage was actually higher than the reality, stating:

Anecdotally the average mileage of a private car was thought to be around 19,000 kilometres (12,000 miles) and some estimates put it as high as 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles)

When we read this we decided to run a check against our own data (courtesy of the National Mileage Register (NMR)) to see if we could verify the average listed by SEI. We found these results*:

When this data is charted we get the following:

Mileage Readings in the Irish Fleet

Extrapolating to get an average reading we arrive at the figure of 10,827 *** miles per year. This figure is very close to the published figure of 10,498 miles per year from SEI. Therefore we are happy to corroborate their finding!

As expected newer vehicles tend to do higher mileage, roughly 1,000 miles per year more than those that are nearer their end of life. High mileage drivers value reliability on the road therefore preferring vehicles less than four years old. Indeed most lease cars are replaced before their first NCT. If you have an interest in vehicle mileage data, the Cartell article on using telemetry to combat car clocking is well worth a read.

Since 2010 it is worth noting that due to issues like house prices in urban hubs many commuters are facing a longer journey into the workplace and the overall trend in average mileage was upwards until the pandemic arrived. Now with lockdowns, remote learning and working and restrictions on travel in place the average mileage figure is set to drop in 2020 and into 2021 and possibly beyond.

The most recent data we have comes from the Central Statistics Office, and in line with our expectations they estimate that average mileage in Ireland in 2016 for each private car to be aabout 18,000 kilometers annually. Their data also neatly demonstrate the increasing average mileage of the Irish fleet in recent years.

Cartell intends to scrutinise our own mileage data to see what effects the Coronovirus pandemic is having on average mileage values across Ireland and the results of this analysis should be available in early 2021.

Average Mileage Per Year Statistical Notes

*The data presented here derives from a September 2010 snapshot of car sales data and is only valid for the period of Aug/Sept 2010.

**Before 2005 only a minority of Irish vehicles displayed their odometers in kilometers, thus producing a much smaller sample. In the interests of statistical confidence this data has been omitted. ***As data derives from sales mileage, we assumed:

1. An average sales cycle of 3 weeks
2. Most vehicles are initially registered Jan-March.

This allows us perform an approximation that the September 2010 data is 0.6 of a full years mileage.

The post Average Mileage in Ireland appeared first on Cartell Car Check.

Statistics published today by Cartell.ie indicate that buyers have a 1 in 4 chance of purchasing a two year old vehicle with finance outstanding. From a sample of over 5906 vehicles offered for sale and checked on the Cartell.ie website, the figures show that for 2008 and 2007 registrations, the percentage of vehicles on finance is 26 and 23% respectively.

Jeff Aherne of Cartell explains,”Once again we urge buyers to be extra vigilant when it comes to checking the financial situation of a second hand car. Car finance differs from personal finance in that the finance company holds an interest in the vehicle until all monies have been paid. Unsurprisingly finance companies can and do repossess vehicles. Only in certain circumstances can a buyer of one of these vehicles get to keep it without paying the balance.”

Consumers have the ability to check before they buy with companies like Cartell.ie and therefore the defense of innocent purchaser is less applicable.

Usually car finance terms are three to five years. However it cannot be taken for granted that a 2005 vehicle is clear of finance just because the current year is 2010. It can be seen from the graph that 16.5% of 2005 vehicles offered for sale are still on finance. Even for 2002 vehicles the finance rate is still 7.1%. It’s not until you purchase a 2001 vehicle that the likelihood of it being on finance drops to 2%. One of the reasons for this is that the value of the 2001 car is such that financing it as a used vehicle would not make sense.

The 2009 figures buck the upward trend for vehicles on finance. Only 15.56% of the 2009 vehicles checked were on finance. This means that there is a greater chance of the 2005 vehicle being on finance than the 2009 vehicle.

It also proves that finance was not given out at the same rate as previous years and that the car industry will find it difficult to recover while funds are unavailable. Below are the top five finance companies which return a match for finance on the Cartell.ie system when a vehicle for sale has been checked. This does not represent market share however.

• Irish Permanent Finance – 20.6% offered for sale with finance owing
• Lombard & Ulster – 15.4% offered for sale with finance owing
• Allied Irish Bank – 15.1% offered for sale with finance owing
• GE Woodchester – 14.7% offered for sale with finance owing
• Bank of Scotland Ireland 13.5% offered for sale with finance owing

Clearly the message Cartell.ie is trying to convey is that you need to check before buy and also if you do have a vehicle on finance and you are in difficulty, contact your lender to arrange a payment extension or some other method of payment reduction. Do not sell your vehicle to someone who could have the vehicle repossessed on them by your lender, as no decent person wants to cause financial hardship to another.

If you have bought a vehicle on finance, or have received a letter of intent from the financial institute looking to repossess, contact a solicitor immediately. 

Date of Issue – Wednesday, 19^th May 2010

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