According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), in the first quarter of 2024 in the EU, new registrations of trucks with a GVW above 3.5 tons amounted to 85,200, which was a decrease of 4% compared to the previous quarter.
The main factor in the decline was a 5.4% fall in registrations for trucks with a GVW above 16 tonnes. On the flip side, vehicles in the segment from 3.5 to 16 tonnes ended the quarter with an increase of 5%.
Truck sales decline
Most European economies ended the first quarter in negative territory. The German market fell by 2.2% in the first quarter (23,579 new registrations). France recorded a 0.3% fall (12,262 registrations), while registrations in Poland plummeted by 16% to 7,200. The largest declines were recorded in Latvia and Lithuania – by 48.2% and 55.9% respectively.
Meanwhile, Spain and Italy recorded significant increases. In Spain, registrations rose 15.7% to 8,078, while Italy saw registrations rise by 6.6% to 7,884.
Greece was nonetheless the clear leader in terms of registration, recording an increase of 105.3%. Croatia also recorded a good result (a rise of 13.8%).
Registrations of trucks with a GVW above 3.5 tonnes in the first quarter of 2024
| End | New registrations | Quarter-to-quarter change (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 23,579 | -2.2% |
| France | 12,262 | -0.3% |
| Spain | 8,078 | 15.7% |
| Italy | 7,884 | 6.6% |
| Poland | 7,219 | -16% |
| Netherlands | 4,298 | -4.9% |
| UK | 12,558 | -5.1% |
Source: ACEA
Growth in the delivery van market
Registrations of new vans (vehicles with a GVW of less than 3.5 tonnes) increased by 12.6% during this time to almost 400,000. The leader in terms of the number of vans sold was Italy, with an impressive increase of 19.4%, followed by Germany (12.7%), Spain (10.9%) and France (8.7%). The increase in Poland was rather modest – sales increased by less than 2% compared to the previous quarter.
However, Lithuania (besides Cyprus) can boast the highest increase in van sales, which at the same time recorded the largest decline in the segment of heavier vehicles. In this country, new registrations increased by 55.2%. Good growth was also recorded in Croatia and Bulgaria (by 47.1% and 43.1%, respectively) and in Slovakia (39.4%).
Of the 27 member states of the European Union, just a few ended the quarter with a decline in the registration of vans. These include Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta and Romania.
Registrations of trucks with a GVW of less than 3.5 tonnes in the first quarter of 2024
| End | New registrations | Quarter-to-quarter change (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| France | 95,494 | 8.7% |
| Germany | 71,222 | 12.7% |
| Italy | 56,028 | 19.4% |
| Spain | 37,924 | 10.9% |
| Netherlands | 21,863 | 13.4% |
| Belgium | 18,211 | 1.8% |
| Poland | 16,128 | 1.9% |
Source: ACEA
Fewer diesel vehicles sold
In the segment of vehicles with a GVW above 3.5 tonnes, diesel still dominates, making up 95.5% in new registrations. However, sales of these trucks decreased by 4.5% compared to the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, electric trucks recorded an increase of 29.5%, achieving almost 2% market share. Germany led here in Q1 2024, accounting for 56% sales of electric trucks in the European Union.
However, in terms of increases in electric truck registrations, Austria (625%) and Italy (408%) fared best, followed by Hungary (200%) and Finland (150%).
When it comes to vans, electric vehicles also recorded a slight increase of over 4%. Sales of diesel vehicles increased by 12.2%, while petrol-powered van registrations rose 18.8%. Diesel vans accounted for an 84.2% share.
Photo: MarcelX42, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons