According to figures released by ACEA, the European body for auto and commercial vehicle manufacturers, demand for new commercial vehicle in June 2020 across the EU remained weak (-20.3%), although the rate of decline slowed compared to April and May.

Total new commercial vehicles

In June 2020, demand for new commercial vehicle across the EU remained weak (-20.3%), although the rate of decline slowed compared to April and May. The drop was less pronounced in the van segment, easing the overall result. The truck and bus segments however are still struggling. Three out of the four largest markets in the region posted double-digit percentage declines last month: Germany (-30.5%), Spain (-24.2%) and Italy (-12.8%), while France recorded a modest increase (+2.2%).

Throughout the first half of the year, EU commercial vehicle registrations contracted by 33.7% due the losses recorded in earlier months. Each of the 27 EU markets posted double-digit percentage drops so far this year, including the four major ones: Spain (-44.8%), Italy (-35.4%), France (-32.0%) and Germany (-28.6%).

In Ireland, Light Commercials vehicles (LCV) were down 24.1% (568) compared to June last year (748) and year to date are down 30.9% (10,579). HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) registrations are down 67.9% (101) in comparison to June 2019 (315). Year to date HGV’s are down 32% (1,224).

New EU light commercial vehicles (LCV) up to 3.5t

Last month, demand for vans declined by 10.4% to 142,799 units. However, this a notable improvement compared to the sharp drop of 41.3% recorded in May. France – the biggest market for light commercial vehicles – made a significant contribution, marking a 7.8% growth in June with 51,849 units registered. Growth was also recorded in Belgium (+8.4%), Romania (+6.4%) and Luxembourg (+3.1%). On the other hand, Spain (-19.8%) and Germany (-17.7%) still suffered double digit losses, followed by Italy with a more modest decline (-5.3%).

Six months into the year, the EU market for new light commercial vehicles shrank by 31.8%. Among the four major markets, Spain recorded the biggest drop in demand (-45.7%), followed by Italy (-35.9%), France (-31.2%) and Germany (-25.1%).

New heavy commercial vehicles (HCV) of 16t and over

In June 2020, EU registrations in the heavy truck segment were severely hit (-55.6%), with Estonia and Latvia recording percentage losses of more than 80%. The four major EU markets also posted negative results, especially Germany (-57.4%), Spain (-55.7%) and Italy (-51.8%). By contrast, Cyprus was the only EU member states to post growth last month.

During the first half of 2019, 92,278 heavy trucks were registered across the European Union, down 44.2%% compared to the same period one year ago. Demand shrank by 41.3% in Germany, followed by France (-40.6%), Spain (-37.3%) and Italy (-34.2%).

New medium and heavy commercial vehicles (MHCV) over 3.5t

In June 2020, demand for new trucks across the European Union declined for the twelfth consecutive month. Registrations more than halved (-54.3%), down from 43,876 units in June 2019 to 20,064 units last month. Germany – the leading market for this kind of vehicle – recorded a higher percentage decline (-56.4%) than in May. Spain (-54.7%), Italy (-48.3%) and France (-33.8%) faced similar drops in demand.

During the first semester of the year, the European Union counted a total of 115,224 new trucks registered, or 42.0% less than the same period last year. The four major EU markets contracted significantly: France (-39.4%), Germany (-38.5%), Spain (-36.2%) and Italy (-33.7%).

New medium and heavy buses & coaches (MHBC) over 3.5t

Last month, bus and coach registrations fell by 41.5% in the EU, a slight improvement compared to May’s decline (-56.5%). Only three of the 27 EU markets posted positive results in June 2020: Cyprus, Luxembourg and Slovakia. The other 24 markets, including the four major ones, all suffered double-digit percentage declines in June.

Over the first half of 2020, demand for buses and coaches across the European Union dropped by 35.1%, with 12,508 new vehicles registered in the region. Registrations fell by more than half in Spain (-52.3%), while Italy (-21.3%), Germany (-19.2%) and France (-18.9%) posted more modest decreases so far this year.