Slow start to Euro truck sales

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) reports that registrations of new commercial vehicles in the European Union have fallen across the first two months of the year.

A total of 131,874 new registrations were recorded in February, down 15.7 per cent over the same month last year, with all segments recording a decline bar the heavy-duty category. The four key markets recorded a drop: Spain was down by 23.3%, France by 21.4%, Germany by 8.1% and Italy by 4.8%.

The monthly tally adds to a lacklustre start to the year in January, with the year-to-date total after the first two months of 2022 now 13.5% down compared to the previous corresponding figure.

The new light commercial vehicle segment was down by 18.2% for the month, and fell by 27.1% in Spain, while the LCV segment’s year-to-date tally is now down by 16.3%.

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The heavy commercial vehicle segment (over 16,000kg GVM) remained flat, posting growth of 0.4% for February, with Germany the strongest performer with an 11.8% lift. But the segment fell slightly in Italy, by 0.7%, and a sharp fall was recorded in Poland, where the category dropped by 17.9%.

Still, the segment is up by 4.1% after the first two months of the year, with Spain leading the year-to-date charge (up by 10.3%).

In new medium and heavy commercial vehicles over 3500kg GVM, new registrations shrank by 1.5% in February, delivering a year-to-date rise of 1.2%, while the coach and bus segment dropped by 12.9% for the month, and 9.6% for the first two months.

It’s fair to say it’s been a shaky start to the year for the commercial vehicle market in Europe, and with the pandemic still in play and conflict raging in Ukraine, it seems the only certainty is that volatility will remain a continuing theme over the months ahead.