Motor Vehicles: Q1/2024
At the end of March 2024, the stock of licensed motor vehicles stood at 439,398. Out of this total, 74.1 per cent were passenger cars, 14.2 per cent were commercial and agricultural motor vehicles and 11.1 per cent were motorcycles/E-bikes/PA-bikes, E-kick scooters, quadricycles and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). Buses and minibuses amounted to less than one per cent (Table 1). During the quarter under review, the stock of licensed motor vehicles increased at a net average rate of nine motor vehicles per day (Chart 2).
Newly licensed motor vehicles
Newly licensed motor vehicles put on the road during the period under review amounted to 5,637. The majority of newly licensed motor vehicles, 4,076 or 72.3 per cent of the total, were passenger cars, followed by motorcycles/E-bikes/PA-bikes with 734 or 13.0 per cent. Newly licensed ‘new’ motor vehicles amounted to 3,175 or 56.3 per cent of the total, whereas newly licensed ‘used’ motor vehicles totalled 2,462 or 43.7 per cent (Tables 2-4). An average of 62 motor vehicles per day were newly licensed during the quarter under review (Chart 3).
Motor vehicles under restriction
During the first quarter of 2024, 8,348 motor vehicles were taken off the road due to restrictions. Out of these, 34.8 per cent were garaged, 26.3 per cent were resold, and 20.1 per cent had other restrictions. Motor vehicles that had their restriction ending during the quarter under review totalled 3,787. The majority were recorded as being resold (51.5 per cent) or garaged (47.8 per cent) (Tables 5-6).
Motor energy type
As at the end of March 2024, 255,666 motor vehicles or 58.2 per cent of the total had petrol-powered engines. Diesel-powered motor vehicles reached 156,360 or 35.6 per cent of the total. Electric and plug-in hybrid motor vehicles accounted for 3.8 per cent of the entire stock, with a total of 16,490 motor vehicles. When compared to the previous quarter, increases of 10.3 per cent, 7.6 per cent and 5.5 per cent were registered in combined (diesel-LPG), mild hybrid (petrol-electric) and mild hybrid (diesel-electric) motor vehicles respectively (Table 7).
Chart 1. Stock of licensed motor vehicles by period
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Chart 2. Average daily change in stock of licensed motor vehicles
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Note: The values indicated in the chart above are calculated using the formula in methodological note 9. This may differ slightly from the change obtained from the formula indicated in methodological note 8 due to the cut-off dates of the different databases.
Chart 3. Average daily newly licensed 'new' and 'used' motor vehicles
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Tables
Tables
Methodological Notes
● Coach and private bus: passenger road motor vehicle designed to carry more than 24 persons (including driver), and with a provision to carry seated and standing passengers.
● Minibus/mini-coach: passenger road motor vehicle designed to carry 10-23 seated or standing persons (including the driver).
● Route bus: bus licensed to operate on established bus routes.
● Motorcycle: two-, three- or four-wheeled road motor vehicle not exceeding 400kg of unladen weight. All such vehicles with a cylinder capacity of 50cc or over are included, as are those under 50cc which do not meet the definition of moped.
● E-Bicycle/PA-Bicycle: bicycle with supportive electrical power unit. Due to the negligible number of powered bicycles, such data is included with motorcycles.
● E-kick scooter: a stand-up device that has a handlebar, a deck and small hard wheels powered by an electric motor and which also allows for human propulsion.
● Moped: two-, three- or four-wheeled road motor vehicle which is fitted with an engine having a cylinder capacity of less than 50cc and a maximum authorised design speed in accordance with national regulations. In this news release, mopeds are included together with motorcycles.
● Quad (Quadricycle)/ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle): four-wheeled road motor vehicle not exceeding 400kg of unladen weight. All such vehicles with a cylinder capacity of 50cc or over are included, as are those under 50cc which do not meet the definition of moped.
● Passenger road vehicle: a road motor vehicle designed, exclusively or primarily, to carry one or more persons. This category includes motorcycles, mopeds, passenger cars, vans designed and used primarily for the transportation of passengers, taxis, hire cars, ambulances, buses, coaches, minibuses and motor homes.
● Passenger car: road motor vehicle, other than a moped, motorcycle or Quad/ATV, intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine persons (including the driver). This category includes passenger cars, vans designed and used primarily for the transportation of passengers, taxis, hire cars, ambulances, motor homes (not caravans), hearses and microcars.
● Goods-carrying vehicle: road motor vehicle designed, exclusively or primarily, to carry goods. This category includes: (i) light goods road motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of not more than 3,500kg designed exclusively or primarily to carry goods, such as vans and pick-ups; (ii) heavy goods road motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight above 3,500kg designed to carry goods.
● Road tractor: road motor vehicle designed, exclusively or primarily, to haul other road motor vehicles which are not power driven (mainly semi-trailers).
● Special purpose vehicle: road motor vehicle for purposes other than the carriage of passengers or goods. This category includes: fire brigade vehicles; mobile cranes; self-propelled rollers; bulldozers with metallic wheels or track; vehicles for recording film, radio and TV broadcasting; mobile library vehicles; mobile kiosks; towing vehicles for vehicles in need of repair and other special purpose road motor vehicles.
● Garage hire: chauffeur-driven car for hire with driver without pre-determined routes. The method of hire is normally: (i) Flagging down the street; (ii) Picking up at a designated taxi rank; (iii) Telephoning for collection; (iv) Booking through mobile apps or internet.
● Self-drive car/motorcycle: passenger road motor vehicle available for hire (without chauffeur). A ‘K’ plate is assigned to all motor vehicles falling in this category.
● Taxi: licensed passenger car for hire with driver without pre-determined routes. The method of hire is normally: (i) Flagging down the street; (ii) Picking up at a designated taxi rank; (iii) Telephoning for collection. In Malta this category refers only to a specific taxi license and commonly recognised as white taxis.
● Leased: a contract under which the owner of a motor vehicle grants to another person the exclusive possession of the motor vehicle for an agreed period, in return for a consideration, and under such conditions that the possessor of the motor vehicle will be obliged to pay the full amount of the consideration, or a penalty, to the owner of the motor vehicle, should the contract be terminated before the expiration of the agreed period. A ‘QZ’ plate is assigned to all motor vehicles falling in this category. In recent years, this category is taking over the ‘self-drive vehicles’ category.
● Other: this category includes any other use/ownership (mostly private), not mentioned above.
● Mild hybrid petrol-electric vehicle (not plug-in): road motor vehicle using petrol for propulsion, with an additional one or more electric motors for propulsion, where the electric motor(s) are powered from a traction battery which is charged by a generator driven by the petrol engine. Plug-in hybrid petrol-electric vehicles are not included.
● Mild hybrid diesel-electric vehicle (not plug-in): road motor vehicle using diesel for propulsion, with an additional one or more electric motors for propulsion, where the electric motor(s) are powered from a traction battery which is charged by a generator driven by the diesel engine. Plug-in hybrid diesel-electric vehicles are not included.
● Plug-in hybrid petrol-electric vehicle: hybrid petrol-electric vehicle where the traction battery can also be charged from an external electricity source (such as an electric socket). Mild hybrid petrol-electric vehicles are not included.
● Plug-in hybrid diesel-electric vehicle: hybrid diesel-electric vehicle where the traction battery can also be charged from an external electricity source (such as an electric socket). Mild hybrid diesel-electric vehicles are not included.
● Combined: a combined engine motor vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct non-electric power sources. Combination types include: Petrol/LPG, Diesel/LPG.
c. Motor vehicle restrictions
● Restrictions: conditions imposed on a motor vehicle’s licence. Restrictions can be either temporary such as garaged, seized, resale, etc., or permanent (i.e. motor vehicle is indefinitely removed from circulation on national territory), such as exported, scrapped or destroyed.
● Resale: a motor vehicle which has been de-licensed and put up for resale. The motor vehicle cannot be used on the road until licensed again when sold.
● Exported: a motor vehicle licensed in Malta which has been exported.
● Garaged: a motor vehicle no longer licensed for use on the road. This category excludes motor vehicles which have been scrapped or exported. A motor vehicle may be garaged for a particular period, then re-licensed after this period.
● Scrapped: a motor vehicle which has been scrapped/destroyed and therefore, indefinitely removed from circulation.
● Other: a motor vehicle which has been de-licensed for other reasons not listed above such as stolen, seized, engine removed, arrears issues, pending documents, and other minor restrictions.
7. Newly licensed motor vehicles’ data (new and used) shows the number of motor vehicles licensed for the first time to be used on Maltese roads. These values approximately indicate also the local sales of motor vehicles during the applicable period. Transfers of motor vehicles between owners are not included.
13. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
14. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.
15. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.
Motor Vehicles: Q1/2024
- During the first quarter of 2024, the stock of licensed motor vehicles increased by 831 over the previous quarter. Average newly licensed motor vehicles per day amounted to 62.
- The majority of newly licensed motor vehicles, 4,076 or 72.3 per cent of the total, were passenger cars, followed by motorcycles/E-bikes/PA-bikes with 734 or 13.0 per cent.
- Petrol-powered engines accounted for 58.2 per cent of the total, followed by diesel-powered engines, and electric and plug-in hybrid engines at 35.6 and 3.8 per cent respectively.
- Compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, increases of 10.3 per cent, 7.6 per cent and 5.5 per cent were registered in combined (diesel-LPG), mild hybrid (petrol-electric) and mild hybrid (diesel-electric) motor vehicles respectively.
