The EU market of new commercial vehicles expanded 9.3% in the first half of 2014 and 10.3% in June, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
From January to June, 912,722 new vehicles were registered, or 9.3% more than in the same period last year. Looking at the largest markets, France remained stable (+0.4%), while Germany expanded by 8.3%. The UK (+11.1%), Italy (+13.6%) and Spain (+38.0%) posted double-digit growth.
In June, growth prevailed in the segment of vans, as well as of buses and coaches, while the truck segment declined. All major markets expanded, from 3.8% in France to 6.5% in Germany, 8.6% in Italy, 18.9% in Spain and 25.5% in the UK.
New Heavy Commercial Vehicles over 16t (excluding buses and coaches) – 'heavy trucks'
In June, results were diverse in the segment of heavy trucks, with France (-15.2%) and the UK (-19.9%) facing a downturn, while Germany (+21.0%) and Spain (+37.1%) posted double-digit growths. Overall, the EU market remained stable (-0.7%), totaling 17,692 new registrations. Over six months, the region registered 5.7% more vehicles than in the same period last year and counted 105,405 new heavy trucks. Looking at the major markets, France (-6.7%) and the UK (-26.5%) performed less well than in the first half-year of 2013, while the Italian (+15.4%), German (+19.4%) and Spanish (+41.4%) markets expanded.
New Commercial Vehicles over 3.5t (excluding buses and coaches) – 'trucks'
June results were down 4.2% compared to June 2013, with a total of 22,817 new trucks. Italy (-3.8%), France (-15.8%) and the UK (-18.3%) saw their markets shrink, while Germany (+7.4%) and Spain (+22.1%) registered more trucks than in the same month last year. From January to June, France (-8.4%) and the UK (-25.9%) faced a downturn, while demand was up in Italy (+4.5%), Germany (+10.4%) and Spain (+34.3%), leading to an overall 1.6% increase in the whole region. In total, 135,358 new trucks were registered in the EU in the first half-year.
New Light Commercial Vehicles up to 3.5t – 'vans'
In June, demand for new vans was 13.1% higher than in the same month a year ago. The German (+6.0%) and French (+6.3%) markets performed similarly. The Italian (+9.8%), Spanish (+18.0%) and UK (+33.3%) also expanded. In total, 140,551 new vans were registered in the EU. In the first semester, van registrations amounted to 761,521 units, or 10.9% more than in the first six months of 2013. All major markets saw their demand increase, from +1.5% in France to +7.3% in Germany, +15.0% in Italy, +16.8% in the UK and +39.0% in Spain.
New buses and coaches over 3.5t
In June, new bus and coach registrations were up 8.5%, totalling 2,739 units. Among the three most significant markets, Germany was the only one to post growth (+14.3%). The UK (-4.8%) and France (-18.3%) fared less well than in the same month a year earlier. From January to June, the UK was the largest market (+3.0%), followed by Germany (+11.5%) and France (-2.9%). Overall, the EU recorded 15,843 new buses and coaches, or 7.3% more than in the first semester of 2013.