The number of electric and hybrid vehicles has increased, but the total number of such vehicles in Malta remains below 10,000, data published by the National Statistics Office shows.
Electric and plug-in hybrid motor vehicles accounted for 2.3% of the entire stock of licenses motor vehicles, with a total of 9,452.
When compared to the previous quarter, increases of 40.2%, 33.3% and 14% were registered in the electric, plug-in hybrid (diesel-electric) and plug-in hybrid (petrol-electric) motor vehicles respectively.
More vehicles on the road
The number of licensed motor vehicles increased by 4,585 in the second quarter of this year, when compared to the previous three months.
The National Statistics Office said that, at the end of June 2022, the stock of licensed motor vehicles stood at 419,254.
Over three quarters (75.2%) were passenger cars, 13.7% were commercial motor vehicles, 10% were motorcycles/quadricycles/ekick scooters and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), while buses and minibuses amounted to less than 1%.
During the quarter under review, the stock of licensed motor vehicles increased at a net average rate of 50 motor vehicles per day.
Newly licensed motor vehicles put on the road during the period under review amounted to 7,073. The majority of the newly licensed motor vehicles, 3,328 or 47.1% of the total, were passenger cars, followed by e-kick scooters with 1,600 or 22.6%.
Newly licensed ‘new’ motor vehicles amounted to 5,076 or 71.8% of the total, whereas newly licensed ‘used’ motor vehicles totalled 1,997 or 28.2%.
An average of 78 motor vehicles per day were newly licensed during the quarter under review.
During the second quarter of 2022, 7,224 motor vehicles were taken off the road due to a restriction. Out of these, 36.4% were scrapped, 31.5% were garaged, while 30.2% were put up for resale.
Motor vehicles that had their restriction ending during the quarter under review totalled 5,155. The majority were recorded as being garaged (54.3%) or resold (44.8%).
As at the end of June 2022, 246,977 motor vehicles or 58.9% of the total had petrol-powered engines.
Diesel-powered motor vehicles reached 155,871 or 37.2% of the total.