The number of second-hand cars licensed in Clare last month has dropped by more than a third on the same time last year.
103 used cars were licensed for the first time in the banner last month, compared to 145 in 2021.
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show a total of 280 cars were licensed for the first time in Clare in August.
This is a marginal decrease on the 290 which were registered the same month last year.
However, the breakdown in new and used cars in 2021 and 2022 shows a clear change in buying trends in Clare.
An equal number of new and used cars were registered last August, however the number of new cars licensed this August jumped by almost a fifth.
177 new cars were registered for use on public roads in the county last month, compared to 145 in 2021.
However, interest in used cars appears to have dipped as there was a decrease of almost 33% in the number of second-hand cars licensed in Clare last month.
It’s worth noting that second hand cars in this instance are cars which have been imported and licensed here for the first time, and therefore difficulty in securing and shipping such vehicles experienced this year may influence the drop in sales.
Interest in diesel cars has dropped by more than a quarter – potentially due to the price of diesel surpassing petrol this year.
There was an almost 12% rise in petrol cars registered in Clare this August and a more than 27% rise in electric cars – with 29 such vehicles licensed in the county.
The demand for hybrids has remained relatively stagnant, with Clare only recording a 2.7% increase in the number of these vehicles registered for the first time last month.
