EU commercial vehicle registrations continue to decline in June

ERJ staff report (LMH)

Brussels -- In June, new commercial vehicle registrations dropped for the fifth consecutive month, falling by 5.8 percent compared to June last year, as a total of 157 232 units were recorded in the EU, according to ACEA, the European auto manufacturers' association.

Italy (-29.8 percent) and Spain (-28.7 percent) faced a double-digit downturn, while France (-0.8 percent) and the UK (+0.2 percent) remained relatively stable. Germany was the only major market to post growth (+8.8 percent).

From January to June, demand was down 10.8 percent, compared to the first half-year of 2011, amounting to 892 850 units. Decline prevailed in all major markets, from -1.9 percent in Germany to -5.1 percent in the UK, -7.2 percent in France, -25.5 percent in Spain and -37 percent in Italy.

In June, 128 871 new vans were registered in the EU, or 6.5 percent less than in the same month last year. Germany was the only significant market to post growth (+12.3 percent), while all others contracted. Six months into the year, results were negative across major markets, leading to an overall 12.2 percent downturn. In total, the EU recorded 726 284 new vehicles.

The heavy truck segment shrank by 4.6 percent, totalling 10 012 units in June. Germany (+2.5 percent) and the UK (+1.6 percent) saw their markets expand, while France (-5.8 percent), Spain (-11.3 percent) and Italy (-33.7 percent) performed less well than in the same month a year ago.

In the first half-year, the EU registered 112,762 new trucks, or 6.1 percent less than in the first six months of 2011. The UK was the only important market to post growth (+12.7 percent). Germany (-3.0 percent) and France (-4.6 percent) contracted, while Spain (-21.4 percent) and Italy (-28.9 percent) faced a more severe downturn.

Demand for new trucks was down 4.1 percent in June, with 25 459 new registrations in the EU. The UK (+6.6 percent) was the only market to perform better than in the same month last year. Germany performed somewhat similarly (-0.8 percent), while France (-3.3 percent), Spain (-12.3 percent) and Italy (-26.0 percent) recorded negative results.

Six months into the year, the EU totalled 150 568 new trucks, or 5.5 percent less than in the same period a year earlier. While the UK posted a strong 21.5 percent growth, the French (-3.2 percent), German (4.7 percent), Spanish (22.4 percent) and Italian (-30.9 percent) markets all shrunk.

In June, new bus and coach registrations increased by 16.5 percent, boosted by the good performance recorded in the UK (+97.9 percent), Germany (+39.0 percent) and France (+24.5 percent). The Spanish (-15.4 percent) and Italian (-21.5 percent) markets declined.

From January to June, the segment of buses and coaches was the only one to expand (+5.2 percent), driven by the upturn in the UK (+67.2 percent) and Germany (+7.1 percent). Results in France (-11.8 percent), Italy (-30.0 percent) and Spain (-38.8 percent) were negative.

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Press release from ACEA