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[PR12] Age of vehicle fleet
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The average age of passenger cars in Slovenia increased from 6.8 years in 1992 to 9.4 years in 2014. The structure of passenger cars by age changed as well. The number of passenger cars older than 12 years more than doubled in 2015 in comparison to 2001. Also, the share of passenger cars aged less than three years decreased by almost a half during this period. The share of heavy duty vehicles and the share of mopeds and motorcycles older than 12 years has also increased since 2009, while the share of these vehicles under three years of age decreased in the same period. This means that new technologies are being introduced slowly. As a result, the Slovenian vehicle fleet is generally less environmentally-friendly than it used to be. Similarly as in the EU-27, the average age of passenger cars has increased from 6.8 years in 2000 to 7.4 years in 2014. As drivers in the EU tend to hold on to their vehicles longer than in the past, the average age of the vehicle fleet is increasing.

This indicator shows the average age of passenger cars in the period 1992–2014 and the age structure of passenger cars in the period 1992–2015 in Slovenia. The age structure of passenger cars for selected European countries is shown for 2012. The indicator also shows the age structure of heavy duty vehicles and buses in the period 1992–2015 and the age structure of mopeds and motorcycles in the period 2002–2015 in Slovenia.

Environmental and safety standards of vehicles are constantly improving; therefore, newer vehicles are, on average, safer, less polluting, generate less noise and consume less fuel. Therefore, the indicator of average age and the age structure of passenger cars indirectly expresses their environmental efficiency.

 

Charts

Figure PR12-1: Average age of passenger cars in Slovenia in the period 1992-2014
Sources:

Ministry of the Interior, Records of vehicle registered in Slovenia - database, 2006; Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, SI-STAT Data Portal, 2014

*Note to Figure PR12-1: There is a data gap in time series, for details see methodology

Show data
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Slovenia age of vehicle fleet (years) 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Slovenia age of vehicle fleet (years) 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
2012 2012 2014
Slovenia age of vehicle fleet (years) 9 9 9
Figure PR12-2: The share of passenger cars by age in Slovenia in the period 1992-2015
Sources:

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Road vehicles at the end of the year (31.12.) by type of vehicle and age, 2015

*Note to Figure PR12-2: There is a data gap in time series, for details see methodology

Show data
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Less than 3 years število 152952 144131 140442 171364 168315 182396 191248 205704 204877 184173
From 3 to 5 years število 176621 190104 192098 166630 163136 156201 181414 184646 200834 216509
Form 6 to 8 years število 95518 128399 155804 175234 188655 191096 165681 160722 154481 179521
Form 9 to 11 years število 59262 63677 67297 87251 115284 137527 154695 166858 170026 151292
12 years and over število 121892 124033 112666 110885 107667 109578 118633 128179 135878 149992
Less than 3 years % 25.2 22.2 21 24.1 22.7 23.5 23.6 24.3 23.7 20.9
From 3 to 5 years % 29.1 29.2 28.7 23.4 22 20.1 22.4 21.8 23.2 24.6
From 6 to 8 years % 15.8 19.7 23.3 24.6 25.4 24.6 20.4 19 17.8 20.4
From 9 to 11 years % 9.8 9.8 10.1 12.3 15.5 17.7 19.1 19.7 19.6 17.2
12 years and over % 20.1 19.1 16.9 15.6 14.5 14.1 14.6 15.1 15.7 17
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Less than 3 years število 160455 154397 161542 166807 167425 176029 183653 181405 170197 152685
From 3 to 5 years število 228502 229298 213805 194320 192092 196975 205269 204485 206881 210543
Form 6 to 8 years število 183438 197995 214360 230655 234473 219864 197342 196198 202619 210808
Form 9 to 11 years število 150356 143643 166433 172335 188952 206120 221254 222729 204125 182310
12 years and over število 171770 185096 177801 196096 197319 215134 237665 254041 277824 310149
Less than 3 years % 17.9 17 17.3 17.4 17.1 17.4 17.6 17.1 16 14.3
From 3 to 5 years % 25.5 25.2 22.9 20.2 19.6 19.4 19.6 19.3 19.5 19.7
From 6 to 8 years % 20.5 21.7 23 24 23.9 21.7 18.9 18.5 19.1 19.8
From 9 to 11 years % 16.8 15.8 17.8 17.9 19.3 20.3 21.2 21 19.2 17.1
12 years and over % 19.2 20.3 19 20.4 20.1 21.2 22.7 24 26.2 29.1
2012 2013 2014 2015
Less than 3 years število 140761 125719 110676 110949
From 3 to 5 years število 203027 190429 174700 168535
Form 6 to 8 years število 208437 211122 217975 209544
Form 9 to 11 years število 182339 191959 201852 200549
12 years and over število 331464 344566 363159 389160
Less than 3 years % 13.2 11.8 10.4 10.3
From 3 to 5 years % 19 17.9 16.4 15.6
From 6 to 8 years % 19.6 19.8 20.4 19.4
From 9 to 11 years % 17.1 18 18.9 18.6
12 years and over % 31.1 32.4 34 36.1
Figure PR12-3: Share of heavy duty vehicles, by age, Slovenia, 1992-2015
Sources:

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Road vehicles at the end of the year (31.12.) by type of vehicle and age, 2015

*Note to Figure PR12-2: There is a data gap in time series, for details see methodology

Show data
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Less than 3 years število 5655 6672 7491 9608 10782 11377 11054 11877 12633 13125
From 3 to 5 years število 8512 7652 7526 7349 8074 8823 10811 12007 12912 12946
Form 6 to 8 years število 7893 8868 9413 9162 8408 8059 7801 8327 8831 10600
Form 9 to 11 years število 4833 5433 6153 7436 8193 8499 7954 7126 6968 6748
12 years and over število 9778 10497 10457 11567 12480 13545 14446 15020 15648 15565
Less than 3 years % 15.4 17.1 18.3 21.3 22.5 22.6 21.2 21.8 22.2 22.3
From 3 to 5 years % 23.2 19.6 18.3 16.3 16.8 17.5 20.8 22.1 22.7 21.9
From 6 to 8 years % 21.5 22.7 22.9 20.3 17.5 16 15 15.3 15.5 18
From 9 to 11 years % 13.2 13.9 15 16.5 17.1 16.9 15.3 13.1 12.2 11.4
12 years and over % 26.7 26.8 25.5 25.6 26 26.9 27.7 27.6 27.5 26.4
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Less than 3 years število 13274 13729 15386 16659 18312 22812 26432 23447 19042 14973
From 3 to 5 years število 13811 14666 15443 15589 16286 17115 18494 20225 23849 26417
Form 6 to 8 years število 11856 12514 12652 13729 14777 15554 15220 15183 15879 16933
Form 9 to 11 years število 7230 7439 8894 9831 10436 11088 12348 13123 12902 12364
12 years and over število 14707 14522 14078 14070 13827 14949 15943 16479 17547 19262
Less than 3 years % 21.8 21.8 23.2 23.8 24.9 28 29.9 26.5 21.3 16.6
From 3 to 5 years % 22.7 23.3 23.2 22.3 22.1 21 20.9 22.9 26.7 29.4
From 6 to 8 years % 19.5 19.9 19 19.6 20.1 19.1 17.2 17.2 17.8 18.8
From 9 to 11 years % 11.9 11.8 13.4 14.1 14.2 13.6 14 14.8 14.5 13.7
12 years and over % 24.2 23.1 21.2 20.1 18.8 18.3 18 18.6 19.7 21.4
2012 2013 2014 2015
Less than 3 years število 15060 15180 15350 17960
From 3 to 5 years število 23522 19138 15860 16491
Form 6 to 8 years število 18125 21402 24459 22241
Form 9 to 11 years število 12357 12756 13896 15399
12 years and over število 20781 22084 23576 25367
Less than 3 years % 16.8 16.8 16.5 18.4
From 3 to 5 years % 26.2 21.1 17 16.9
From 6 to 8 years % 20.2 23.6 26.3 22.8
From 9 to 11 years % 13.8 14.1 14.9 15.8
12 years and over % 23.1 24.4 25.3 26
Figure PR12-4: Share of buses, by age, Slovenia, 1992-2015
Sources:

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Road vehicles at the end of the year (31.12.) by type of vehicle and age, 2015

*Note to Figure PR12-2: There is a data gap in time series, for details see methodology

Show data
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Less than 3 years število 354 332 313 265 236 272 330 408 405 394
From 3 to 5 years število 730 528 429 374 345 331 307 264 299 367
Form 6 to 8 years število 790 880 787 710 528 434 376 351 338 314
Form 9 to 11 years število 478 503 593 678 797 727 626 468 383 346
12 years and over število 318 354 390 446 501 605 686 824 830 792
Less than 3 years % 13.3 12.8 12.5 10.7 9.8 11.5 14.2 17.6 18 17.8
From 3 to 5 years % 27.3 20.3 17.1 15.1 14.3 14 13.2 11.4 13.3 16.6
From 6 to 8 years % 29.6 33.9 31.3 28.7 21.9 18.3 16.2 15.2 15 14.2
From 9 to 11 years % 17.9 19.4 23.6 27.4 33.1 30.7 26.9 20.2 17 15.6
12 years and over % 11.9 13.6 15.5 18 20.8 25.5 29.5 35.6 36.8 35.8
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Less than 3 years število 336 329 359 380 378 376 428 432 460 405
From 3 to 5 years število 467 462 456 401 397 403 434 409 397 455
Form 6 to 8 years število 284 351 448 543 559 543 443 427 436 443
Form 9 to 11 years število 329 323 309 298 357 454 551 546 495 424
12 years and over število 780 725 697 633 586 554 522 580 612 695
Less than 3 years % 15.3 15 15.8 16.9 16.6 16.1 18 18 19.2 16.7
From 3 to 5 years % 21.3 21.1 20.1 17.8 17.4 17.3 18.3 17.1 16.5 18.8
From 6 to 8 years % 12.9 16 19.7 24.1 24.5 23.3 18.6 17.8 18.2 18.3
From 9 to 11 years % 15 14.7 13.6 13.2 15.7 19.5 23.2 22.8 20.6 17.5
12 years and over % 35.5 33.1 30.7 28.1 25.7 23.8 22 24.2 25.5 28.7
2012 2013 2014 2015
Less than 3 years število 369 378 428 504
From 3 to 5 years število 458 475 441 395
Form 6 to 8 years število 424 426 500 499
Form 9 to 11 years število 404 403 405 405
12 years and over število 755 783 785 828
Less than 3 years % 15.3 15.3 16.7 19.2
From 3 to 5 years % 19 19.3 17.2 15
From 6 to 8 years % 17.6 17.3 19.5 19
From 9 to 11 years % 16.8 16.3 15.8 15.4
12 years and over % 31.3 31.8 30.7 31.5
Figure PR12-5: Share of mopeds and motorcycles, by age, Slovenia, 2002-2015
Sources:

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Road vehicles at the end of the year (31.12.) by type of vehicle and age, 2015

*Note to Figure PR12-2: There is a data gap in time series, for details see methodology

Show data
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Less than 3 years število ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
From 3 to 5 years število ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Form 6 to 8 years število ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Form 9 to 11 years število ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
12 years and over število ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Less than 3 years % ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
From 3 to 5 years % ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
From 6 to 8 years % ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
From 9 to 11 years % ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
12 years and over % ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Less than 3 years število 11518 9195 8529 10449 14665 22247 26363 26363 21886 16290
From 3 to 5 years število 14172 13564 11758 10978 9158 12102 14404 17502 20884 23458
Form 6 to 8 years število 6354 6951 8242 11111 11733 13431 12353 11822 12591 14079
Form 9 to 11 years število 3330 2935 3466 4821 5948 9384 12103 13283 12765 11344
12 years and over število 15234 9747 8205 11312 11689 14329 16773 19458 22882 27012
Less than 3 years % 22.8 21.7 21.2 21.5 27.6 31.1 32.2 29.8 24 17.7
From 3 to 5 years % 28 32 29.2 22.6 17.2 16.9 17.6 19.8 22.9 25.4
From 6 to 8 years % 12.6 16.4 20.5 22.8 22.1 18.8 15.1 13.4 13.8 15.3
From 9 to 11 years % 6.6 6.9 8.6 9.9 11.2 13.1 14.8 15 14 12.3
12 years and over % 30.1 23 20.4 23.2 22 20 20.5 22 25.1 29.3
2012 2013 2014 2015
Less than 3 years število 13083 11315 10751 10629
From 3 to 5 years število 22926 18878 14524 12157
Form 6 to 8 years število 16188 18702 21377 21430
Form 9 to 11 years število 10903 11609 13375 15987
12 years and over število 30000 32482 35769 40096
Less than 3 years % 14.1 12.2 11.2 10.6
From 3 to 5 years % 24.6 20.3 15.2 12.1
From 6 to 8 years % 17.4 20.1 22.3 21.4
From 9 to 11 years % 11.7 12.5 14 15.9
12 years and over % 32.2 34.9 37.3 40
Figure PR12-6: Share of passenger cars, by age, selected EU-27 countries, 2012
Sources:

EUROSTAT, Passenger cars by age, 2015.

Show data
Hungary Latvia Romania Poland Cyprus Portugal Estonia Malta Croatia Finland
Less than 2 years število 86.3 18.3 149 738 25 244 34.6 15.8 103 238
From 2 to 5 years število 236.1 30.7 544 1189 66 630 46.8 29.9 211 361
Form 5 to 10 years število 1015.1 126.3 1399 3572 166 971 137.6 56.2 393 776
10 years and over število 1648.6 443 2395 13245 218 2414 383.1 147.7 738 1661
Total število 2986 618.3 4487 18744 475 4259 602.1 249.6 1445 3037
Less than 2 years % 2.9 3 3.3 3.9 5.3 5.7 5.7 6.3 7.1 7.8
From 2 to 5 years % 7.9 5 12.1 6.3 13.9 14.8 7.8 12 14.6 11.9
Form 5 to 10 years % 34 20.4 31.2 19.1 34.9 22.8 22.9 22.5 27.2 25.6
10 years and over % 55.2 71.7 53.4 70.7 45.9 56.7 63.6 59.2 51.1 54.7
Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Slovenia Italy Spain Czech Republic France Germany Ireland Austria
Less than 2 years število 88.4 3189 2338 571 4146 5751 365.3 922
From 2 to 5 years število 182.4 8780 3419 542 6903 8829 482 869
Form 5 to 10 years število 349.7 8651 6959 1045 10924 12874 721.3 1347
10 years and over število 445.5 16458 9532 2549 10582 15758 382.6 1446
Total število 1066 37078 22248 4706 32555 43212 1951.1 4584
Less than 2 years % 8.3 8.6 10.5 12.1 12.7 13.3 18.7 20.1
From 2 to 5 years % 17.1 23.7 15.4 11.5 21.2 20.4 24.7 19
Form 5 to 10 years % 32.8 23.3 31.3 22.2 33.6 29.8 37 29.4
10 years and over % 41.8 44.4 42.8 54.2 32.5 36.5 19.6 31.5
Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Goals

No specific target for the average age of the vehicle fleet has been set. The goals pertaining to the vehicle fleet are thus mostly related to its structure. From an environmental perspective, it is especially important that old vehicles are replaced with new ones that are technologically more advanced and environmentally friendly. To this purpose, the EU adopted new legislation framework that defines limit values for exhaust emissions (emissions at source). This lead to the introduction of EURO standards that contributed significantly to the reduction of negative impacts of transport on the environment in the recent decade, particularly from the perspective of emissions from vehicles. Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles (ELV Directive) partially regulates the management of end-of-life vehicles. In addition to incentives to limit the use of (heavy) metals in the car industry, the Directive sets a target according to which the EU Member States are to increase the share of recycled and reused and recovered vehicles to 95% by 2015.

The average age of a vehicle fleet is an indirect indicator of the effectiveness of meeting environmental goals and preventing negative impacts of road transport on the environment (EEA, 2016). Older vehicle fleets generate more emissions than younger ones; however, more rapid vehicle replacement has the disadvantage of increasing the amounts of energy and materials used for vehicle construction, dismantling and recycling. According to the EEA, the information on the average age of a vehicle fleet alone is not sufficient to assess its overall environmental performance. Additional understanding of the phenomenon would require, at least, information on the average number of kilometres travelled by vehicles, and the average expected vehicle lifetime (EEA, 2016) as well as information on meeting emission standards by vehicle category.

The average age of passenger cars in the EU decreased from 8.8 years in 1995 to 8.2 years in 2009 and 7.4 years in 2014, which is 8% more than in 2000, when the average age of passenger cars was 6.8 years. Compared to past years, car owners in the EU now wait longer to replace older passenger cars with new ones, which results in an older average age of the vehicle fleet in the EU. Namely, the share of passenger cars older than 10 years has been constantly increasing (EEA, 2016).

The average age of passenger cars in the EU-27 (Croatia is not included) varies widely between individual countries. It is highest in Slovakia, with 11.3 years (in 2012). Estonia (average age of 11 years) has a relatively old vehicle fleet as well. It is followed by Spain (9.86 years) and Finland (9.69 years). On the other hand, Poland (average age of 5.75 years), the United Kingdom (5.76 years) and Belgium (6.14 years) have much younger vehicle fleets. In 2012, the highest share of vehicles older than 10 years were registered in Latvia (71.7%) and Poland (70.7%), while the highest share of vehicles younger than 2 years was registered in Austria (20.1%) and Ireland (18.7%). The average age of diesel-powered passenger cars is lower than the average age of petrol-powered cars. The market of diesel-powered passenger cars has been constantly expanding. In the EU, more diesel-powered cars are registered each year than petrol-powered cars (EEA, 2016). In some EU countries, the average age of passenger cars is decreasing due to scrappage schemes, financial incentives, and mandatory periodical inspection and maintenance schemes (EEA, 2016).

In Slovenia, the average age of passenger cars increased by 2.5 years between 1998 (6.9 years) and 2014 (9.4 years). The age structure of passenger cars changed as well: in 2015, the share of cars older than 12 years more than doubled compared to 2001, while the share of cars less than 3 years old almost halved. This means that new technologies are being introduced gradually and that the vehicle fleet is mostly less environmentally-friendly. Interestingly, in 2015, 66% of passenger cars registered in Slovenia for the first time were new, while in 2011 only 86.9% were new (Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, 2015). This means that new technologies are being introduced slowly and that most of the vehicle fleet is environmentally less friendly.

Unlike the average age of passenger cars, the average age of other types of vehicles in the EU increased in the period 2000–2014. The average age of light commercial vehicles in the EU increased from 6.6 to 8.5 years in the period 2000–2014, while the average age of heavy duty vehicles increased from 7.5 to 8.1 years in the same period. The average age of motorcycles (from 8.9 to 9 years) and buses (from 8.7 to 9.4 years) also increased in the same period (EEA, 2016).

In recent years, and especially from 2009 onwards, the trend has been similar in Slovenia: the share of mopeds and motorcycles older than 12 years has been increasing, while the growth in the number of such vehicles that are less than 3 years old has been stagnant or decreasing slightly. The share of mopeds and motorcycles less than 3 years old has been decreasing since 2010. Within the same period, the share of freight motor vehicles less than 3 years old has remained more or less the same. In 2015, the share of freight motor vehicles up to 3 years old slightly increased when compared to 2014 (from 16.5% in 2014 to 18.4% in 2015). The share of buses less than 3 years old has been increasing recently (particularly after 2012), from 15.3% in 2012 to 19.2% in 2015. On the other hand, the share of buses older than 12 years remained relatively stable in the period 2012–2015 (between 30.7% and 31.8%).

Although several incentive systems for vehicle fleet renewal have been introduced in individual EU countries, there is no common policy at the EU level. Incentives may include financial compensation for scrapping old vehicles without the mandatory purchase of new ones or compensation for replacement of old vehicles with new or less polluting ones. Some indirect scrappage incentives (administrative measures) with no direct financial effects also exist. Although no such incentives have been introduced so far at the national level in Slovenia, some manufacturers have included them in their sales campaigns. These measures influence the environment in two ways: positively by reducing the environmental pressure and human health risks due to the renewal of the existing vehicle fleet with newer, technologically more advanced and cleaner vehicles; and negatively by reducing the lifetime of vehicles, increasing the amounts of energy and materials used for the construction of new vehicles and the dismantling of older ones. An environmentally important part of vehicle fleet renewal is the management system of end-of-life vehicles, which is mandatory for all EU Member States on the basis of the Directive on end-of-life vehicles of 18 September 2000 (no. 2000/53/EC). The target share of reuse and recovery for 2015 is 95%. Slovenia regulated this area by adopting the Decree on the manner, subject of and conditions for performing public utility service of the management of end-of-life vehicles (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 18/03 and amendments), which was replaced by the new Decree on end-of-life vehicles (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 32/11, 45/11 and 26/12).

Regular roadworthiness tests are of major importance for the reduction of the environmental impacts of vehicles and for the timely abandonment of inappropriate vehicles. Properly maintained vehicles can be older as long as their environmental performance does not differ too much from newer vehicles, which are mostly related to compliance with EURO standards (emission limits for vehicles) (EEA, 2016). Mandatory periodic roadworthiness tests in Slovenia have been carried out for a long time. As of 1 December 2003, they also include measurements of exhaust gas emissions. This measure shall directly reduce GHG emissions, as cars are not allowed to exceed the approved values of these emissions. Furthermore, the measure shall also influence the maintenance of vehicles, which additionally contributes to the reduction of emissions.

 

 

Methodology

Date of data source summarization
Last modified
15.07.2016
Author(s)

Aljaž Plevnik, Urban Planning Institute;