In the third quarter of 2025, the stock of licensed motor vehicles increased by 3,344 over the previous quarter, the NSO said Tuesday.

On average, 36 cars were added to the Maltese roads every day between July and September.

At the end of September 2025, the stock of licensed motor vehicles stood at 454,138. Out of this total, 73.6 per cent were passenger cars, 14.3 per cent were commercial and agricultural motor vehicles and 11.5 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. During the quarter under review, the stock of licensed motor vehicles increased at a net average rate of 36 motor vehicles per day.

Newly licensed motor vehicles

Newly licensed motor vehicles put on the road during the period under review amounted to 6,143. The majority of newly licensed motor vehicles, 3,683 or 60.0 per cent of the total, were passenger cars, followed by motorcycles/E-bikes/PA-bikes with 1,664 or 27.1 per cent. Newly licensed 'new' motor vehicles amounted to 3,582 or 58.3 per cent of the total, whereas newly licensed 'used' motor vehicles totalled 2,561 or 41.7 per cent.  An average of 67 motor vehicles per day were newly licensed during the quarter under review.

Motor vehicles under restriction

During the third quarter of 2025, 6,804 motor vehicles were taken off the road due to restrictions. Out of these, 36.4 per cent were garaged, 33.1 per cent were scrapped, and 28.3 per cent were resold. Motor vehicles that had their restriction ending during the quarter under review totalled 4,725. The majority were recorded as being garaged (55.4 per cent) or resold (44.0 per cent).

Motor energy type

As at the end of September 2025, 263,873 motor vehicles or 58.1 per cent of the total had petrol-powered engines. Diesel-powered motor vehicles reached 155,717 or 34.3 per cent of the total. Electric and plug-in hybrid motor vehicles accounted for 4.5 per cent of the entire stock, with a total of 20,604 motor vehicles. When compared to the previous quarter, increases of 6.7 per cent, 6.5 per cent and 4.9 per cent were registered in plug-in hybrid (diesel-electric), electric, and mild hybrid (petrol-electric) motor vehicles respectively.