According to StatisticsĀ Austria, a total of 353.179 new motor vehicles were registered in 2020, 19.0% fewer than in 2019.
New registrations of passenger cars decreased by 24.5% to 248.740. The number of newly registered lorries fell by 16.7% to 40.042.
Tractors used for agriculture and forestry increased again in 2020Ā (+6.9%,Ā 6.446Ā vehicles). New registrations of two-wheelers also increased significantlyĀ (+13.4%Ā toĀ 46.099).
Increases in new electric and hybrid cars
In 2020, registrations of new passenger cars fell to 248.740, the lowest level since 1987 (243.221) and also well below the twenty-year-average (313.297).
Compared to 2019 (329.363Ā newly registered passengerĀ cars), this was the highest year-on-year decline ever observed.
New registrations of petrol-powered passenger cars (share:Ā 43.3%) fell by 39.0% and those of diesel passenger cars (share:Ā 36.5%) by 28.0%.
The share of alternatively powered passenger cars ā electric, natural gas, bivalent drive, combined drive (petrol or diesel hybrid) and hydrogen (fuel cell) ā reached 20.1% in 2020 with 50.060Ā vehiclesĀ (+90.0%)Ā (2019:Ā 8.0%; 26.346 and 2018:Ā 4.9%; 16.807).
With a share of 10.2% of all new passenger car registrations or 25.380 vehicles (+105.5% compared to 2019), petrol/electric hybrid vehicles are the most important group among alternatively powered passenger cars; they are followed by passenger cars with electric drives (share: 6.4%; +72.8% to 15.972) and diesel/electric hybrid drives (share: 3.3%; +99.4% to 8.287).
Primarily legal entities, companies and local authorities are registering new electric cars (share of all new electric car registrations: 81.6% or 13.040Ā vehicles).
The highest number of new electric passenger cars was registered in Vienna and Lower Austria (shares of 18.5% and 18.4%, respectively), followed by Upper Austria (17.6%) and Styria (13.0%).
SUVs ahead of compact class and small cars
The preferred segment for new passenger car registrations in 2020 is the off-road vehicle or SUV (sport utility vehicle) with a share of 31.5% and 78.403 vehicles.
SUVs are followed by compact cars with a share of 25.5% (63.333 vehicles) and small cars with a share of 19.5% (48.480 vehicles). Increases compared to 2019 were observed for sports carsĀ (+57.3%, 3.345 vehicles).
VW remains market leader in Austria
The TopĀ 10Ā brands in 2020 representĀ 67.5% of all new passenger car registrations.
VW remained the market leader with a share of 15.4%, followed by Skoda (share:Ā 9.5%) and Seat and BMW (shareĀ 6.4% each).
Compared to the previous year, all TopĀ 10Ā brands had double-digit declines (OpelĀ -43.7%, FordĀ -27.6%, VWĀ -27.3%, RenaultĀ -24.0%, HyundaiĀ -22.6%, SeatĀ -19.7%, BMWĀ -17.4%, MercedesĀ -14.8%, SkodaĀ -13.5%, AudiĀ -12.8%).
More than 7 million motor vehicles are registered in Austria
As of December 31 2020, the provisional stock of motor vehicles in Austria exceeded the 7-million mark (approx. 7.1 million) for the first time.
That is 1.5% more motor vehicles than in the previous year.
Passenger cars, the most important vehicle type in terms of share (71.7%), accounted for approx. 5.1 million vehicles, an increase of 1.0%.
A total of 512.101 lorries (+3.5%), 472.467 tractors used for agriculture and forestry (+0.9%) and 19.388 articulated lorries (+0.3%) were in the stock.
Campers reached 32.675, an increase of 8.4%. Among single-track vehicles, there were 570.747 motorcycles (+3.8%) and 274.433 scooters (+0.7%).