Diesel sales up 60 per cent over five years

It’s not just the top end of town that’s paying more upfront for the long-term bonus of reduced running costs.

Diesel-power now comes in cars as cheap as a $20,000 Hyundai Accent or the VW Polo and Ford Fiesta at $21,500.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2012 motor vehicle census shows diesel registrations across the country have grown by 60 per cent over the past five years.

Registrations of diesel light commercial vehicles such as the segment-leading Toyota HiLux were up 65 per cent since 2007 while the number of passenger diesels on the road more than doubled in the same period.

The ABS data shows diesels now account for 15.9 per cent of the 16.7 million vehicles on the road as of January 31 this year. Passenger vehicles, including SUVs, represent 12.7 million of total registrations and more than 2,654,000 of those are diesels.

Motorbikes are the other big mover. There are now more than 709,000 powered two-wheelers registered in Australia, a 38.5 per cent increase since ’07.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ motorcycle manager, Cameron Cuthill, says the data reflects the general motoring trend to more economical and efficient forms of transport.

“As people turn to “green” vehicles, motorcycles come in to their own in terms of low fuel use and a smaller environmental impact,” Cuthill said. Australia has 745 registered cars per 1000 residents, up from 705 five years ago. 

The average age of our cars is 10-years. Light commercial vehicles – the car of choice for our tradies and service industry – make up 15.6 per cent of what’s on our roads. The ACT defied the diesel trend - diesel vehicles represented only 1 per cent of registrations in the nation’s capital.

Reg’d cars by fuel breakdown:

 
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Vehicle Registrations By State: