Euro sales slump in April

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reports that registrations of new commercial vehicles fell by 27.1 per cent in April compared with the same month last year, the result seeing the year-to-date tally decline 20.3% over the previous corresponding period.

A total of 125,034 new vehicles were sold last month, while all vehicle segments experienced a contraction. All four major EU markets suffered a drop, with Spain down by 36.0%, Germany by 30.5%, France by 28.6%, and Italy by 17.5%. 

In the year-to-date figures, France has seen the steepest fall, down 23.6%, while Germany is down 16.5% and Italy by a more modest 7.7%. 

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Registrations of light commercial vehicles were down 30.2% for April and down 23.5% across the first four months of the year, with Spain the hardest hit (down 41.0% for the month and 37.2% year to date). Bucking the trend, the only EU markets in positive territory year to date were Latvia (15.9%), Cyprus (5.6%) and Slovakia (3.9%). 

In the heavy-duty segment (16-tonnes and up), 19,878 units were registered in the EU in April – a decline of 10.8% – with Italy down 22.0%, Germany down 18.5%, and Poland down 16.7%. France was the only major market to post growth, its result up 3.6%. 

However, the heavy segment’s fall over the first four months of the year has been more modest, with an overall contraction of 2.4%. Year to date, Spain and France both posted growth in the heavy-duty segment, up 3.4% and 3.2% respectively, while the figures for both Germany and Italy fell by 5.4%. 

Based in Brussels, Belgium, the ACEA represents 16 automotive manufacturers spanning the car, van, truck and bus markets. In the truck industry, it represents DAF, Daimler, Ford, IVECO, MAN, Scania, Volkswagen, and Volvo.