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Car dealers spared by downturn

The economic downturn has had minimal effect on Austrian car dealers as the number of newly registered cars soared last year.

Federal statistics agency Statistik Austria said today (Thurs) 4.36 million cars were registered to the end of last year, 1.8 per cent more than in the previous year.

The number of lorries also jumped, with 371,000 registered in 2009, a 2.5 per cent increase compared to 2008.

Adding the 376,00 motorbikes and 305,000 mopeds and scooters brings to almost six million the number of motor vehicles registered in the country last year.

This comes as the government debates increasing taxes on mineral oil and petrol. The new energy tax scheme is aimed at cutting the budget deficit over the next few years.

The Federal Economic Chamber (WKO) and car clubs Arb� and �AMTC are against the plan, while the Austrian Traffic Club (VC�) supports a "more ecological tax system to promote more efficient and climate-friendly ways of travelling".

Austria is seeing little progress in introducing cars with electric or natural gas-powered engines. Statistik Austria said today only 223 electric cars and 1,105 cars equipped with natural gas engines were registered last year.

These figures stand in stark contrast to 2.38 million diesel cars and 1.97 million petrol cars, with Volkswagen Austrians� favourite brand, followed by Opel and Audi.

It emerged earlier this week that Austria�s inflation would have been just 0.6 instead of 0.9 per cent last month without the impact of high fuel prices.

Fuel prices are, however, still lower than in most neighbouring countries, something which tempts thousands of people to cross the border to fuel their cars.

Critics of plans to increase taxes on mineral oil warned this could cause such "fuel tourism" to come to a sudden halt and hurt the Austrian economy.

Austrian Times

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