Commercial vehicle registrations: -18.8% eight months into 2022; -17.4% in July and -8.0% in August

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Brussels, 23 September 2022 – Commercial vehicle registrations in the European Union fell again in July and August 2022 – down 17.4% and 8.0% respectively – marking fourteen consecutive months of decline.

Commercial vehicle registrations in the European Union fell again in July and August 2022 – down 17.4% and 8.0% respectively – marking fourteen consecutive months of decline. The sharp drop in van registrations was the key contributor to the overall contraction of the commercial vehicle market. All key EU markets faced losses during the summer months, with the exception of Spain, which managed to post growth in August (+11.5%).
Eight months into 2022, commercial vehicle sales volumes retreated by 18.8% to 1 million units registered across the EU. The region’s four largest markets followed this negative trend, with Spain (-25.2%), France (-21.5%), Germany (-17.1%) and Italy (-11.1%) all seeing double-digit drops so far this year.
The EU new van market recorded double-digit losses both in July (-20.6%) and August (‑12.1%), as the ongoing supply chain issues continued to affect vehicle availability in this segment. With the exception of Spain’s positive performance in August (+8.8%), all the major EU markets posted declines during summer.
From January to August, 838,608 new light commercial vehicles were registered across the European Union, down 22.3% compared to the same period one year ago. In France, the largest market for vans in the region, registrations contracted by 23.6% year-on-year. Other key markets in the region also recorded losses, including Spain – which saw the steepest percentage decline (-29.9%) – Germany (-20.2%) and Italy (-12.4%).
The upward momentum in the heavy truck segment continued, with solid gains recorded in July (+2.8%) and especially in August (+24.4%). July’s result was largely driven by Central European countries (+15%). August was an even more positive month, with nearly all EU markets posting strong gains.
Over the first eight months of the year, the EU heavy commercial vehicle market remained in positive territory, thanks to the results of the last four months. Registrations increased by 2.7% to 165,908 units year-on-year. The region’s key markets posted mixed results. Germany recorded a slight decline (-1.8%), while Spain and France posted growth during this eight-month period (+9.9% and +1.9% respectively).
EU new truck registrations returned to growth in August (+18.1%), after remaining flat in July (-0.5%). Poland – one of the region’s largest markets for trucks – largely contributed to this positive result, posting a 35.4% increase. Other key EU markets also recorded solid gains: Spain (+27.4%), Italy (+17.6%), France (+8.0%) and Germany (+4.4%).
So far in 2022, new medium and heavy commercial vehicle registrations in the EU decreased by a modest 0.6%, despite last month’s growth. With the exception of Spain (+8.8%), all Western European major markets performed worse than in 2021: Germany (‑6.1%), France (-1.8%) and Italy (-1.6%).
The EU bus and coach segment continued to struggle during the summer (-23.1% in July and -21.5% in August). Among the key EU markets, Germany and France witnessed declines in both months. Spain however posted a significant increase in August (+182.9%).
Eight months into 2022, new bus registrations contracted by 5.4% with 18,084 units sold across the EU, as the recent months’ declines dragged performance down into negative territory. Germany saw the steepest drop (-24.4%), followed by Italy (-16.1%) and France (‑14.3%). By contrast, Spain recorded strong growth (+40.9%).