Commercial vehicle registrations: – 5.5% over eight months; -4.4% in August

In July, demand for new commercial vehicle was slightly up (+2.8%), mainly due to a calendar effect, as the month counted on average one more working day across the EU compared to July 2012. The UK market slipped by 0.9%, while the Italian shrank by 13.3%. France (+3.2%), Germany (+4.0%) and Spain (+25.8%) contributed positively to the overall upturn.

In August, 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 a 4.4% downturn in the whole region*.

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 Light Commercial Vehicles up to 3.5t – “vans”

In July, new registrations of vans totaled 112,270 units, or 2.3% more than in the same month last year. The UK (-2.6%) and Italy (-13.0%) registered fewer vehicles, while Germany (+2.9%) and France (+3.0%) performed similarly. Spain recorded a double-digit growth (+28.1%). August results were less positive, despite the expansion of the UK (+11.1%) and Spanish (+13.0%) markets. 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 EU*market 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.

New Heavy Commercial Vehicles over 16t (excluding Buses & Coaches) – “heavy trucks”

The segment of heavy trucks grew by 6.5% in July, accounting for 18,453 new registrations. Except for Italy (-23.4%), all major markets expanded, from +3.2% in Germany to +3.5% in Spain, +8.1% in France and 22.8% in the UK. 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. NB: HCV figures for Spain updated on Monday, September 30

New Commercial Vehicles over 3.5t (excluding Buses & Coaches) – “trucks”

In July, new truck registrations amounted to 24,380 units, or 4.9% more than in July 2012. Italy was the only major market to shrink (-18.8%), while Spain (+3.6%), France (+4.5%), Germany (+6.0%) and the UK (+11.8%) all expanded. Results in August showed 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 Buses & Coaches over 3.5t

In July, France (+5.7%), the UK (-16.0%) and Germany (+19.0%) remained the three largest markets for buses and coaches, despite contrasted performances. Overall demand in the EU* increased by 6.6%, totaling 2,510 units. In August, all significant markets posted growth, ranging from +1.0% in Italy to +4.2% in Germany, 6.6% in France, +27.9% in Spain and +57.6% in the UK. From January to August, France was the only major market to expand (+8.0%), while demand declined in Germany (-0.8%), Italy (-5.3%), Spain (-9.3%) and the UK (-16.8%). In total, 20,281 new vehicles were registered in the EU*, or 5.1% less than in January-August 2012.