Total CV registrations dipped 4.7 per cent in May to 24,149 units, but market remains up 8.3 per cent for the year-to-date. Van registrations were 3.8 per cent behind May 2012 at 20,503 units; the January-May volumes remain strong; up 13 per cent to 110,136 units. Truck demand fell 9.4 per cent to 3,646 units in the month and declined 14.3 per cent during the first five months of 2013.
In May, private demand for cars in the UK climbed 20.9 per cent, outperforming pre-recession volumes recorded in 2007. However, May's total new car market remains down on 2007 levels. May's new car market secured the 15th successive month of growth and the largest May volume in six years. Registrations have risen 9.3 per cent for the year-to-date to 948,666 units.
In April, the EU market for new passenger cars grew for the first time (+1.7 per cent) since September 2011. The region counted on average two more working days compared to the same month last year, which would account for the increase. In absolute figures, it is the third lowest level of new registrations for a month of April, with the historic low for April reached in 2012 (1,021,358 units). A total of 1,038,343 units was recorded in the EU in April this year, or 1.7 per cent more compared to the low level of April last year.
Leading brake manufacturer Brembo has posted first quarter 2013 net consolidated revenues of 371.9 million euros, up 6.3 per cent compared to the first quarter of the previous year. Pre-tax profits grew even faster. EBITDA amounted to 47.3 million euros (12.7 per cent of revenues), up 10.2 per cent compared to first quarter of previous year. Meanwhile EBIT amounted to 26.1 million euros (7 per cent of revenues), up 9.3 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2012.
Total CV registrations increased 30.9 per cent in April to 24,370 units and grew 11.8 per cent during the year so far. Van registrations rose 43 per cent to 20,751 units in the month, and grew 17.6 per cent during the year-to-date.
Truck demand fell 12.1 per cent to 3,619 units in the month and declined 15.5 per cent during the first four months of 2013.
Bus and coach registrations fell 18.4 per cent to 622 units in April, meaning a decline of 17.6 per cent in the first four months of 2013 to 2,559 units. Purpose-built bus and coach registrations dropped 28.9 per cent to 302 units in the month. Converted bus registrations also fell in April, by 5 per cent to 320 units.
SMMT figures show that UK new car registrations rose 14.8 per cent in April to 163,357 units. Registrations in the first four months of 2013 grew 8.9 per cent to 768,555 units. April secured the strongest growth in 14 months as buying cycles and market volatility combined to boost uptake.
Bus and coach registrations declined 22.8 per cent to 1,034 units in March and the first quarter of the year has ended 17.3 per cent down on last year, posting 1,937 units for the year-to-date. Purpose-built bus and coach registrations fell 18.6 per cent to 456 units for the month. Converted bus registrations also fell in the month, 25.9 per cent to 578 units.
Continuing the recent trend, van registrations increased 11.5 per cent in March, contributing to an overall commercial vehicles registrations sales rise of 8.1 per cent.
Commenting on the SMMT's van and truck registration figures, Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association which represents commercial vehicle and franchised car retailers across the UK said:
New car sales figures, released today, show month on month sales were up 5.9 per cent compared to March 2012. Fleet registrations increased by 3.7 per cent last month whilst private registrations increased by 7.8 per cent. The car industry received the news very positively, but market analysts were more cautious. In any case increased registrations are good news for the tyre business albeit in the medium to long term.
Figures for CV registrations in Europe, released by ACEA, show that they fell by 13.3 per cent in February and were down -11.9 per cent over the first two months, year on year. February was the fourteenth consecutive month that demand for commercial vehicles in the EU was down.
Demand for new heavy trucks (over 16 tonnes, excluding buses and coaches) declined the most sharply across segments in January (-18.4 per cent), totalling 15,510 vehicles. All major markets contracted, from -9.3 per cent in Italy to -11.1 per cent in Spain, -15.4 per cent in France and -22.0 per cent in Germany and the UK.
Figures released by ACEA show that new commercial vehicle registrations further declined in January (-10.6 per cent), pursuing a downward trend which prevailed throughout 2012.
The UK was the only major European market to buck January’s downward trend in new commercial vehicle registrations. According to the ACEA, total commercial vehicle registrations in the UK rose 5.4 per cent to 19,198; total European Union registrations declined 10.6 per cent to 126,110 during the month. The decline in France almost hit double figures, with new registrations decreasing by 9.8 per cent year-on-year to 33,584 units. Other major markets suffered an even stronger downturn; new commercial vehicle registrations in Germany and Spain sank 15.5 per cent year on year to 19,913 and 5,912 respectively, while Italian registrations, at 9,452, were 23.6 per cent lower than in January 2012.
Full year results for Swedish firm Trelleborg AB show its Trelleborg Wheel Systems business unit generated net sales of SEK 3,865 million (£386.8 million) in 2012, a very slight increase on a year earlier. In the final quarter of 2012 sales came to SEK 833 million (£83.4 million), 13 per cent less than a year earlier. Reporting this fourth quarter result, the company says Q4 sales were lower year-on-year in all market segments, however they were in line with general market trends. Operating profit amounted to SEK 449 million (£44.9 million) last year, a 12 per cent increase the Swedish company attributes to enhanced efficiency and favourable capacity utilisation. Final quarter operating profit dropped 27.3 per cent per cent to SEK 72 million (£7.2 million), primarily due to lower sales.
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