Average vehicle age on the rise: policy makers must do more to incentivise the switch

ACEA's latest 'Vehicles on European roads' report provides a snapshot of how the 'fleet' of vehicles on Europe's roads is evolving. With vehicles growing older, more must be done to incentivise the switch to the cleanest and greenest models. 

Updated annually, the report is revealing as it demonstrates how the sales data of different vehicle types, such as battery electric, tell a different story to the actual makeup of vehicles on Europe's roads. Despite battery-electric cars being the third-most-popular choice for new car buyers last year, with a market share of almost 15%, they only represent 1.2% of vehicles on EU roads. 

The data underlines the fact that it can take several years, even decades, for older vehicles to be replaced by newer ones equipped with cleaner and greener technologies. Older vehicles typically possess less efficient technologies, which may result in more emissions and pollution if not replaced. This emphasises the importance of ensuring that these older vehicles are swiftly replaced by the greenest and cleanest models our industry has been heavily investing in.  

This year's edition found that there are now around 290 million vehicles on EU roads and that the average age of all vehicle types continues to rise. Cars in the EU are now an average of 12.3 years old. In some countries, cars can reach as old as 17 years, as is the case in Greece and Estonia. Trucks are typically the oldest vehicle type, with the EU average standing at 13.9 years, while the average for both buses and vans is 12.5 years. Since 2018, the average age of all vehicle types has risen by around one year.

The increasing number of ageing vehicles on roads reinforces the importance of accelerating the uptake of battery-electric and other zero-emission models in Europe. The report demonstrates that while legislative targets can help steer change, this is only part of the puzzle for decarbonising road transport. Europe needs a broader set of framework conditions, such as charging infrastructure and purchase and tax incentives, to stimulate demand and replenish vehicles on Europe's roads with the cleanest and greenest models. 

Find out more in our latest report: https://www.acea.auto/publication/report-vehicles-on-european-roads/