2006 a Slower Year for Commercial Vehicle Registrations

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, the ACEA, has released their figures for the number of commercial vehicles first registered within the European Union and within the UK during 2006. The figures showed a general trend towards slow or negative growth in the UK market with a solitary exception.

The light commercial vehicle segment (up to 3.5 tonnes) saw 21,698 new registrations during 2006, up 1.2 per cent on the previous year’s figures. However this small growth contrasted with European Union figures, which showed 9.8 per cent overall growth and a growth of 23 per cent for light commercial registrations taking place in new member states.

Markedly fewer commercial vehicles (between 3.5 and 16 tonnes, excluding buses and coaches) were registered in the UK last year. The total new registration figure of 2,945 was a substantial 23.4 per cent down on the 2005 figures. Again this percentage runs against the European tide, with new registrations in the established EU states up 11 per cent, and those in new member states increasing by 40 per cent. On average new commercial registrations across the EU increased by 13.2 per cent over 2005.

The number of new heavy commercial vehicle (over 16 tonnes, excluding buses and coaches) registrations in the UK saw a similar drop. There were 27.1 per cent few heavy commercials registered in the UK during 2006, with a total of only 1,668 new registrations. As in previous categories this decline was in contrast with Europe-wide trends. New registrations in established European states rose 11 per cent, and the entire EU, including new member states, recorded an increase of 14.5 per cent.

Only in the medium and heavy bus and coach segment were UK new registrations above the average European figures. During 2006 there were 510 new UK registrations in this segment, an 18.9 per cent increase over 2005. Data for established EU countries showed a 15.6 per cent rise in this region, and throughout the entire EU a slightly higher figure of 16.2 per cent was recorded.