Posted on: June 30, 2016
Demand for new commercial vehicles in all sectors has grown across Europe for the seventeenth month in a row.
Figures released by the ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, showed that demand across the EU grew by 16.4% year-on-year, with May registrations totalling 187,134 units.
Italy recorded the highest upturn, growing by 35.9%, followed by France at 27.7% and Spain at 17.3%.
In the first five months of the year, the EU market expanded by 13.5%, totalling almost 1 million commercial vehicles (946,128). During that period, Italy (+30.6%), Spain (+13.9%), France (+13.1%), Germany (+10.2%) and the UK (+3.8%) all posted growth.
The most significant upturn across mainland Europe has come from the heavy truck sector, in direct contrast to the UK market, where there has been a shift away from trucks and heavy goods vehicles towards the sub 3.5-tonne market.
Up to the end of last month, the EU market for vehicles over 16-tonnes had grown by 18.4%, reaching 121,810 units. All major markets saw their demand for heavy trucks increase, this was especially the case in Italy (+32.2%), Spain (+19.2%) and France (+18.1%). In June alone, Italy saw a growth of 48.2% in the heavy truck segment, as the market continues to expand.
Van registrations were up across the EU, with 781,373 new vans registered so far in 2016. The sector has seen a 13 per cent growth year-to-date, with Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the UK all showing increases across the sector.
In the medium-to-heavy sector, registrations were also up across the region. Italy (+45.3%) and France (+20.7%) posted double-digit gains, while the UK (+6.2%), Spain (+2.8%) and Germany (-0.3%) showed more modest outcomes. From January to May 2016, 149,342 new 3.5-tonne to 16-tonne trucks were registered in the EU, 17.6% more than in the same period last year.
The bus and coach market remains largely stable, with some growth across the region. In May 2016, new bus and coach registrations increased by 2.6% compared to May 2015, totalling 3,075 units. Volumes in Germany, France and Spain have increased, countered by reductions in the UK and Italy.