Motor shows are popular in Slovakia. (source: Peter Kálmán)
Slovakia is the world’s biggest car producer, turning out 198 passenger cars produced per 1000 people.
But while it may be churning out one new car after another on the production line, the cars driven on the country’s roads are old. In fact, Slovakia has one of the oldest fleets of passenger cars in the European Union with the average age of passenger cars close to 15 years.
And experts say that number is unlikely to move downwards anytime soon with rising prices of new cars in recent years putting newer vehicles out of reach of many Slovaks.
“Twenty years ago, an average age of passenger cars above 10 years was considered a very unfavourable indicator in an EU member state,” Pavol Prepiak, executive vice-president of the Slovak Automotive Industry Union (ZAP), told The Slovak Spectator.
But ageing vehicles is not the only problem with Slovakia’s passenger car fleet, according to Prepiak.
Data on car sales show that when Slovaks do buy, they prefer sport utility vehicles (SUVs). This, in combination with low sales of hybrid and electric cars, is doing little for the environment.
“The result is that we are complaining about (high) transport emissions,” said Prepiak.
What will you read in this article
Is the Slovak car fleet the oldest in the EU?
Why the average age of passenger cars in Slovakia is rising
Why SUVs are so popular in Slovakia
What factors will shape Slovakia’s passenger car fleet in future
The effects of a change in the car registration process
