European CV Sales Down 32.4% in 2009 – ACEA

The European Automotive Manufacturers’ Association has confirmed what we already knew – last year commercial vehicle registrations plummeted. According to ACEA figures, new registrations of commercial vehicles was down 32.4 per cent compared with 2008, and this downturn affected all segments and all countries represented by the organisation. In total, 1,706,996 vehicles were registered throughout the year.

Registrations of vans up to 3.5 tonnes totalled 1,421,770 units during the year, 30.3 per cent than in 2008. A decrease of 27.9 per cent was experienced in Western Europe and 49.7 per cent in the new EU Member States; a drop that ranged from -18.8 per cent in France to -77.7 per cent in Latvia. Sales declined by 35.7 per cent in the UK. The Czech Republic’s poor performance (a decrease of 67.6 per cent) led Poland to become the sector’s largest market in 2009.

A total of 245,915 trucks over 3.5 tonnes were registered Europe wide during the year, a 43.8 per cent decrease compared with the previous year. Western Europe experienced a drop of 40.2 per cent while a 63.6 per cent drop was recorded in the new EU Member States. UK market sales decreased 39.5 per cent.

The heavy commercial vehicle sector – trucks over 16 tonnes – decreased 47.9 per cent in 2009. A total of 164,645 new registrations were recorded during the year. The UK market contracted 44.9 per cent compared with 2008.

In 2009, new bus and coach registrations amounted to 39,311 units, or 19.5 per cent less than in the previous year. France was the only important market to post growth (12.4 per cent. UK registrations declined 23.5 per cent.