New commercial vehicle registrations fell 4.4% in August in the EU, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).
Spain (+10.3%) and the UK (+15.3%) performed better than in the same month last year but negative results in France (-5.4%), Germany (-8.5%) and Italy (-19.5%) led to the downturn.
From January to August, new commercial vehicle registrations decreased by 5.5% in the EU, compared to the same period a year earlier. The UK was the only market to post growth (+6.7%), while Spain (-0.5%), France (-7.6%), Germany (-8.2%) and Italy (-18.5%) all saw their market contract.
New Heavy Commercial Vehicles over 16t (excluding Buses & Coaches) – “heavy trucks
In August, only the UK posted growth (+32.0%), as France (-3.8%), Germany (-5.4%), Italy (-7.8%) and Spain (-8.7%) all saw their market contract. Overall demand in the EU was stable (+0.5%). Eight months into the year, the UK market remained unchanged (+0.5%), while double-digit downturn prevailed elsewhere, ranging from -10.1% in France to -10.4% in Germany, -13.2% in Italy and -15.2% in Spain. In total, 131,714 new heavy trucks were registered across the EU, or 8.0% less than in the first eight months of last year.
New Commercial Vehicles over 3.5t (excluding Buses & Coaches) – “trucks”
There was a 2.0% fall in new truck registrations in the EU, as Germany (-5.4%), Spain (-6.8%), France (-8.2%) and Italy (-15.3%) recorded fewer vehicles than in August last year. The UK stood out with a 27.1% expansion of its market. From January to August, downturn prevailed across major markets, reaching -3.3% in the UK, -10.0% in Germany, -11.1% in France, -14.4% in Spain and -16.4% in Italy. The EU* registered a total of 176,188 new trucks over the period, or 8.6% less than in the first eight months of 2012.
New Light Commercial Vehicles up to 3.5t – “vans”
The decline recorded in France (-5.8%), Germany (-10.0%) and Italy (-20.9%) led to an overall 5.1% downturn. From January to August, the EUmarket of vans shrank by 4.8%, compared to the first eight months of 2012, mainly affected by the contraction recorded in the French (-7.4%), German (-7.6%) and Italian (-19.0%) markets. Spain (+1.7%) and the UK (+9.4%) registered more vehicles than in the same period last year. New van registrations in the EU totaled 873,590 units over the period.