“The year 2023 gave a better result than the previous years, but the crisis is still strongly felt by the auto sector. 239.150 “Our new car registrations are below the pre-crisis level,” comments Klaus Edelspruner, head of the state committee of the Federal Automotive Trade Association and the Styrian Chamber of Commerce. All in all, an increase of 11.2 percent compared to 2022 (215,050). In Styria the increase was not significant: 32,459 new registrations were registered here in 2023 (+5.5 percent compared to 30,755 registrations in 2022). In the used car sector, there was a 2.4 percent increase to 114,188.
According to Edelsbrunner, the increase in 2023 is largely due to follow-on purchases. This means that these are the cars ordered in 2022 that will be delivered in 2023. “Any increase is definitely positive,” emphasizes Gunther Gerle, head of the Automobile Importers Working Group, when presenting the figures. Even if we can stop a downward trend after the “2022 disaster year”, we are still a long way from the “normal year”. “We can't talk about trend change yet.” Edelsbrunner says: “We need to do more; there must also be political support for the automotive industry, which represents an important economic factor.”
Every 12th euro earned in Austria can be directly or indirectly attributed to the automotive industry. “The automotive industry is a guarantee of jobs and prosperity in Austria. Politicians must take this into account and therefore relieve the burden on drivers,” demands Edelsprunner, who in this context “Car People's Petition: Lower costs!” mentions that According to Edelsbrunner, it's important to do something about the ever-increasing cost of personal mobility. “The revenue situation of the industry is still bad because we are feeling the energy crisis and high inflation, but the increase in NoVA and CO2 prices is further fueling the reluctance of consumers to buy,” says the auto trade chief.
As far as further development of the industry is concerned, Edelsbrunner also foresees an increasing trend towards agency systems. The used car market is also in an upswing, as the federal committee argues that “the used car market is in the hands of dealers.” There is also an underlying trend towards longer vehicle use. Edelsbrunner: “The number of orders from workshops has increased over the past year, which means that the demand for repairs has increased.”
Alternative drives are popular
In terms of most popular brands, VW is the leader in Styria as well as in Austria as a whole. 31,951 new cars were registered last year, followed by Skoda (18,725) and BMW (16,316). The majority of new cars registered in Styria in 2023 will be powered by petrol (11,179 or 34.4 percent). However, alternative drivers are still on the rise. While petrol (-7.4 per cent) and diesel (-10.5 per cent) saw significant declines, the trend was opposite for electric cars. 5,411 cars were newly registered in 2023 (16.7 percent), a clear increase of 30 percent compared to 2022. Petrol hybrid cars also recorded a 36.7 percent increase to 7,713 registrations (+23.8 percent). As for used cars, petrol and diesel (0.6 and 0.4 per cent respectively) increased marginally, but here too there is a trend towards alternative drives.
“We obviously welcome the promotion of e-mobility,” emphasizes Edelsprunner. However, as part of the e-mobility offensive, public company funding for cars for commercial purposes is required, while the current funding limit of 60,000 euros is to be raised. Additionally, “love must be applied” to individuals. “Hence, massive expansion of charging infrastructure and common mode of payment across the country – credit cards, debit cards – is necessary,” said the auto trade chief. At the same time, Edelsbrunner says, “Individual motoring is not incompatible with climate protection, but rather ambitious goals can be easily achieved together.” This is especially important taking into account existing e-fuels. Fleet of fire engines. Because: “Austrians need their cars!”