Scrappage registrations pass 315,000 units

The total number of cars and light vans registered through the scrappage scheme up to the end of January has passed 315,000 units.

In january 25,846 new cars were registered through the scrappage scheme making up 17.8% of the month’s total. Average CO2 emissions of a car bought through the scheme was 133.3g/km, almost 10% below the overall new car market average and 26.8% below the average figure for a scrapped car. 311,159 new car registrations went through the scrappage scheme by January, accounting for 20.4% of the new car market. and LCV registrations over the May to January period totalled 5,051 units, accounting for 3.7% of sales.

New cars registered through the scheme had an average CO2 emissions value of 133.3g/km. This was 9.8% below the 147.8g/km average of all new cars registered between May and December, and 26.8% below the average CO2 of cars scrapped through the scheme. The average CO2 emissions of an old car scrapped through the scheme is estimated to be 182.1g/km (based on weighted segment data for 1997 vintage cars, with the average age of scrapped vehicles being 12.8 years).

Small cars continue to dominate scrappage registrations, with mini and supermini segments accounting for 70.5% of new cars ordered under the scheme, compared with a 41.8% share in the overall market and a 41.6% share of vehicles scrapped through the scheme.

Commenting on the data, SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said, “Scrappage accounted for 17.8% of January new car registrations, the lowest percentage since the first full month of the scheme. With funding for over 60,000 vehicles still available, we welcome last week’s announcement by government to delay the scrappage close date into March. Scrappage continues to provide an important stimulus to the new car market, although the decreasing reliance on the scheme to deliver market growth is encouraging news for post-scrappage stability.”