EU commercial vehicle registrations plunge 18.8% in January-August

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - New commercial vehicle registrations in the EU plunged 18.8% annually in the January-August period, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said on Friday.

Some 1 million commercial vehicles were sold in the 27-member bloc, according to the latest ACEA figures.

This negative trend was also seen in the region’s four largest markets, with Spain (minus 25.2%), France (minus 21.5%), Germany (minus 17.1%) and Italy (minus 11.1%).

In August alone, sales of new commercial vehicles in the EU declined for the 14th consecutive month by 8% to 110,261.

“The sharp drop in van registrations was the key contributor to the overall contraction of the commercial vehicle market. All key EU markets faced losses during the summer months, with the exception of Spain, which managed to post growth in August (+11.5%),” ACEA said.

In July, sales of new commercial vehicles were down 17.4% year-on-year to 123,145.