Vehicle Trend

Feb 25, 2014 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's vehicle registrations fell 1.

5 percent to 27,827 in January 2014 from a year earlier, with used hybrid cars up and three wheelers down, a research analysis shows.



Sri Lanka now taxes large hybrid vehicles at lower rates than small petrol cars. The larger cars are more fuel efficient, allowing users to drive a bigger car while spending less on fuel than they would otherwise have done for a similar-sized standard car.

Batteries that drive hybrids, which have nickel and lithium metals have to be recycled at a future date, to curb environmental damage.

Registrations of three wheelers were down 29 percent in January 2014 to 5,802 units.

Motor cycle sales were up 17.1 percent to 16,402.

Meanwhile JB Stockbrokers said mini trucks of less than one tonne at 1,305 units was steady with India's Mahindra having a 48.

8 percent share and Tata 49.7 percent other trucks were declining with sharp falls in the heaviest trucks.

Motor car registrations rose 35 percent to 1,949 in January 2014 from a year earlier, helped by the sale of 914 pre-owned Toyota vehicles (up from 352 a year earlier) and 338 (up from 202) Honda vehicles, an analysis by JB Stockbrokers shows