Commercial vehicle registrations: +8.7% over four months; +5.1% in April

In April, demand for new commercial vehicles in the EU increased for the eighth consecutive month. Total commercial vehicle registrations grew by 5.1%, totalling 151,571 units. Growth was sustained across the vans, and the buses and coaches segments, while the market for trucks and heavy trucks contracted. Out of the most significant markets, Spain (+54.6%) and Italy (+15.2%) recorded double-digit growth, while demand in France (+0.4%) also increased. Germany (-2.1%) and the UK (-3.6%), however, saw their registrations decline. 

Four months into the year, the EU* market expanded by 8.7%, totalling 595,170 units. During the same period, Spain (+43.3%), Italy (+14.4%), the UK (+7.1) and Germany (+6.7%) all posted growth, while France was the only major market recording a decline (-0.4%).

New Light Commercial Vehicles up to 3.5t – ‘vans’

In April, the segment of vans grew by 6.4% to 125,133 units. Among the most significant markets, growth was sustained in Spain (+57.6%), Italy (+16.9%) and France (+2.5%). However, the UK (-0.6%) and Germany (-3.0%) saw their markets for vans decline. From January to April, 494,479 new vans were registered in the EU*, 9.5% more than in the same period last year. France (-0.3%) was the only major market to post a decline, while Spain (+44.6%), Italy (+15.8%), the UK (+12.2%) and Germany (+5.1%) saw their demand for vans increase.

New Heavy Commercial Vehicles over 16t (excluding buses and coaches) – ‘heavy trucks’

April results showed a 0.7% decrease in new heavy truck registrations, totalling 17,832 units. Out of the most significant markets, Spain (+29.8%), the Netherlands (+7.1%), Poland (+6.8%), Italy (+4.8%) and Germany (+3.9%) recorded growth, while France (-15.3%) and the UK (-29.3%) saw demand for heavy trucks decline. Four months into the year, the EU* market grew by 9.2%, reaching 70,631 units. The rise was sustained in Spain (+43.7%), Italy (+26.1%), Germany (+18.3%), Poland (+18.1%) and France (+1.7%), while heavy truck registrations dropped in the Netherlands (-22.7%) and in the UK (-30.9%).

New Commercial Vehicles over 3.5t (excluding buses and coaches) – ‘trucks’

April results showed a 2.9% decrease in new truck registrations, totalling 23,358 units. Germany (-0.5%) remained the largest market in the month of April in terms of volume, registering 7,979 trucks. France (-15.7%) and the UK (-29.6%) also saw their demand decrease, while truck registrations grew by in Poland (+0.9%), in Italy (+10.2%) and in Spain (+33.9%). From January to April, 90,360 new trucks were registered in the EU*, 4.7% more than in the same period last year. Spain (+41.5%), Poland (+13.2%), Germany (+10.5%), Italy (+8.5%) all posted growth, while demand for new trucks in France (-1.0%) and the UK (-28.7%) declined.

New buses and coaches over 3.5t

In April, demand for new buses and coaches increased by 20.4%, totalling 3,080 units. Poland (+64.2%), the UK (+44.7%) and Spain (+31.7%) posted double-digit growth and Germany (+4.1%) also recorded an upturn. Over the same period, France (-7.9%) and Italy (-31.6%) saw demand decline. Four months into the year, the EU* market grew by 5.6%, totalling 10,331 new buses and coaches. Demand for new buses and coaches declined in Spain (-3.4%) and Italy (-9.4%), while new registrations increased in Poland (+18.0%), Germany (+8.6%), the UK (+6.8%) and France (+4.4%).