The Department for Transport's latest statistics on vehicles using UK roads reveal that alomst 60% of new car registrations last year were to companies.

They also reveal that:

  • There were 34.2 million licensed vehicles registered in the UK at the end of 2008 - an increase of almost 250,000 in a year.
  • There were 2.7 million vehicles registered for the first time in the UK in 2008 - a drop of over 300,000 vehicle registrations from the previous year.
  • Alongside this overall decline, the proportion of new registrations to companies continues to increase with almost six in every 10 cars registered in the UK in 2008 being company owned.
  • Amongst light goods vehicle registrations, the proportion increased slightly in 2008 to nine in every 10.
  • The proportion of cars and vans powered by diesel also continues to grow: 25% of all licensed cars are now diesel, while 43% of cars registered for the first time in 2008 were fuelled by diesel.

 The full report and statistics can be downloaded at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/licensing/vehiclelicensingstatistics2008