New car registrations in Donegal have dropped

New car registrations in Donegal have dropped almost 19 per cent over the last year.

Figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show a 18.9 per cent drop between May 2016 and May of this year in the county.

There were 2,011 new car registrations in May this year compared to 2,477 in May 2016.  

The drop in Donegal was the biggest seen anywhere in the country.

Car registrations were down nationally eight per cent (5,991) compared to (6,449) May 2016, while new cars registrations year to date are down ten per cent (89,791) on the same period last year (99,704).

Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) show a decrease of -19% (1,461) on May 2016 (1,819) and year to date are down -14% (15,098). While Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HGV) are also showing a decline of -15% for the month of May (259) compared to the same month last year (306) and are down -9% (1,524) year to date.

Commenting on the figures SIMI Director General, Alan Nolan said:” With the first 5 months of the year now behind us, the decline in registrations across all sectors has been a noticeable trend reflecting the unpredictable nature of the market at present. As we near the end of the 171 registration period, there will undoubtedly be incentives to purchase a new car before the end of June. Notwithstanding this the Industry and consumers are turning their focus to the second registration plate, which since its introduction has seen the proportion of the full year market occurring in the second half of the year increasing significantly. This year we will again see each brand offer innovative packages to encourage the purchase of new 172 cars. The Wexford Motor Show taking place this weekend, and the Drogheda Motor Show taking place the weekend of the 16th of June, will give consumers the ideal opportunity to shop locally and ensure they can get the best possible deal on any new car”.