CV registrations down in December

December figures for new commercial vehicle registrations show that Europeans just aren’t buying at the moment. According to information supplied by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, registrations of light commercial vehicles within the European Union dropped 24.3 per cent year-on-year during the month to 103,254 units, while registrations of commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes decreased 22.8 per cent to 19,309 units and heavy trucks (16 tonnes and over) fared little better, decreasing 21.7 per cent year-on-year during the month to 14,267 units. Only bus and coach (over 3.5 tonnes) registrations provided respite from this downward trend, increasing 11.9 per cent year-on-year to 3,262 units in December.

UK figures tell a similar story. Registrations of light commercial vehicles decreased 14.2 per cent year-on-year to 15,805 units, the commercial vehicle (3.5 tonnes and over) segment dropped 22.3 per cent year-on-year to 3,458 units, and heavy commercial vehicle registrations decreased 21.2 per cent to 2,449 units. Bus and coach registrations rose 2.0 per cent to 353 units.

For the full year 2012, light commercial vehicle registrations experienced a 13.3 per cent decline in the European Union, to 1,377,283 units, while commercial vehicle registrations sank 9.1 per cent to 285,809 units. Heavy commercial vehicle registrations decreased 9.4 per cent to 236,368 units within the European Union. Bus and coach registrations rose 1.4 per cent to 32.081 units.

UK registration patterns for the full year were more favourable than those for the EU; light commercial vehicle registrations decreased 7.9 per cent to 239,641 units, commercial vehicle registrations increased 3.5 per cent to 42,280 units, heavy commercial vehicle registrations decreased 0.4 per cent to 28,237 units and bus and coach registrations jumped 31.9 per cent to 7,233 units.