According to Statistics 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 2020 (+6.9%, 6.446 vehicles). New registrations of two-wheelers also increased significantly (+13.4% to 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 (329.363 newly registered passenger cars), this was the highest year-on-year decline ever observed.

New registrations of petrol-powered passenger cars (share: 43.3%) fell by 39.0% and those of diesel passenger cars (share: 36.5%) by 28.0%.

The share of alternatively powered passenger cars – electric, natural gas, bivalent drive, combined drive (petrol or diesel hybrid) and hydrogen (fuel cell) – reached 20.1% in 2020 with 50.060 vehicles (+90.0%) (2019: 8.0%; 26.346 and 2018: 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 13.040 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 cars (+57.3%, 3.345 vehicles).

VW remains market leader in Austria

The Top 10 brands in 2020 represent 67.5% of all new passenger car registrations.

VW remained the market leader with a share of 15.4%, followed by Skoda (share: 9.5%) and Seat and BMW (share 6.4% each).

Compared to the previous year, all Top 10 brands had double-digit declines (Opel -43.7%, Ford -27.6%, VW -27.3%, Renault -24.0%, Hyundai -22.6%, Seat -19.7%, BMW -17.4%, Mercedes -14.8%, Skoda -13.5%, Audi -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%).