Age of Private Fleet Drops on Younger Import
PRESS RELEASE
Vehicle history and data expert CARTELL.IE reports today (February 13th) that the age of the imported fleet is now at its lowest level since May 2010 and the native fleet age is now at its lowest level since September 2013. The overall picture shows the age of the private fleet, both native and imported, has returned to a level last seen in August 2013.
Cartell.ie tracked the age of the fleet (both native fleet and imported fleet) on the first day of each month between February 1999 and February 2019. Between February 2018 and February 2019 the imported fleet has declined in age from an average of 9.0 years to 8.76 years (-88 days). For the equivalent period the native fleet has declined from 8.57 years to 8.48 years (-32 days).
Graph 1: Age and Size of Private Fleet, Native fleet, Imports 1999 to 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)
The age of the fleet oscillates throughout the year as vehicles leave the fleet and others enter. However the drop in age of the imported fleet since February 2017 (-209 days) has been particularly notable. In February 2018 the difference in age between the (older) imported fleet and the (younger) native fleet was 158 days while today the difference in age has narrowed to 102 days.
John Byrne, General Counsel, Cartell.ie, says:
“A lot has been said lately about imported vehicles. The results of this analysis show the average Irish buyer importing a vehicle is evidently opting for a younger vehicle than before and this is bringing down the age of both the imported fleet and the combined fleet, native and imported.
In January 2015 Cartell released data which showed the age of the private fleet in Ireland had levelled-off significantly for the first time in over 10 years – supporting our view the market was then going into recovery.”
In November 2017 Cartell reported the age of the native fleet stood at 8.62 years while the age of the imported fleet stood at 9.02 years: which was the youngest recorded age for the imported fleet since July 2011. The overall age of the private fleet in Ireland (native and imported) stood at 8.7 years: representing a decline of 80 days since January 2017. That equivalent figure now stands at 8.55 years representing a decline of 68 days since those figures were released.
The imported fleet is now at its youngest level since 1st May 2010.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Table 1: Age of Native Fleet and Imported Fleet – 2018 to 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)
| Date | Native Fleet Age | Imported Fleet Age | Combined Fleet Age |
| 01/02/2018 | 8.57 | 9.01 | 8.66 |
| 01/03/2018 | 8.52 | 8.96 | 8.62 |
| 01/04/2018 | 8.49 | 8.93 | 8.58 |
| 01/05/2018 | 8.49 | 8.90 | 8.58 |
| 01/06/2018 | 8.50 | 8.88 | 8.59 |
| 01/07/2018 | 8.53 | 8.85 | 8.61 |
| 01/08/2018 | 8.45 | 8.84 | 8.53 |
| 01/09/2018 | 8.46 | 8.81 | 8.54 |
| 01/10/2018 | 8.48 | 8.81 | 8.55 |
| 01/11/2018 | 8.50 | 8.79 | 8.57 |
| 01/12/2018 | 8.53 | 8.77 | 8.59 |
| 01/01/2019 | 8.56 | 8.78 | 8.61 |
| 01/02/2019 | 8.48 | 8.76 | 8.55 |
Table 2: Age of Native Fleet and Imported Fleet – February 1999 to February 2019 (Source: Cartell Carstat)
| Date | Native Fleet Age | Imported Fleet Age | Combined Fleet Age |
| 01/02/1999 | 5.88 | 6.16 | 5.88 |
| 01/02/2000 | 5.50 | 6.56 | 5.53 |
| 01/02/2001 | 4.97 | 7.01 | 5.06 |
| 01/02/2002 | 5.05 | 7.57 | 5.17 |
| 01/02/2003 | 5.17 | 8.07 | 5.31 |
| 01/02/2004 | 5.43 | 8.51 | 5.59 |
| 01/02/2005 | 5.64 | 8.71 | 5.81 |
| 01/02/2006 | 5.82 | 8.64 | 6.02 |
| 01/02/2007 | 6.02 | 8.61 | 6.25 |
| 01/02/2008 | 6.17 | 8.71 | 6.43 |
| 01/02/2009 | 6.54 | 8.67 | 6.79 |
| 01/02/2010 | 7.06 | 8.75 | 7.27 |
| 01/02/2011 | 7.44 | 8.95 | 7.65 |
| 01/02/2012 | 7.80 | 9.11 | 8.00 |
| 01/02/2013 | 8.23 | 9.31 | 8.40 |
| 01/02/2014 | 8.62 | 9.36 | 8.74 |
| 01/02/2015 | 8.73 | 9.22 | 8.82 |
| 01/02/2016 | 8.78 | 9.44 | 8.89 |
| 01/02/2017 | 8.69 | 9.33 | 8.81 |
| 01/02/2018 | 8.57 | 9.01 | 8.66 |
| 01/02/2019 | 8.48 | 8.76 | 8.55 |
References:
https://www.cartell.ie/2015/01/age-of-fleet-levels-off-as-car-industry-in-recovery/
https://www.cartell.ie/2017/11/age-fleet-falls-imports-time-high/
https://www.cartell.ie/2018/10/age-private-fleet-drops-younger-imports/
For further information please contact John Byrne on 087 4199018 or at john at cartell.ie or check out www.cartell.ie for further information.
Cartell.ie was set up in 2006 to help buyers make an informed choice when buying a used vehicle – including imported vehicles – by providing a user-friendly and cost-effective vehicle data checking service. Cartell.ie is a totally independent company and fully Irish owned.