New commercial vehicle registrations across the EU in April this year amounted to 138,630 units, decreasing by 11.9 percent compared to the same month last year and down 24.75 percent compared to March this year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). In April this year, new registrations fell by 1.2 percent in France, 1.6 percent in Germany, 13.3 percent in the UK, 28.9 percent in Spain and 38.6 percent in Italy - all year on year.
In the first four months of this year, a total of 589,987 new commercial vehicles were registered in the EU-27, or down 10.1 percent from the same period a year ago. Looking at new registrations in the major markets in the EU-27 region in the first four months of the year, France remained the largest market, despite a 4.7 percent contraction, followed by Germany (-1.2 percent) and the UK (-9.8 percent). Spain (-24.1 percent) and Italy (-36.7 percent) recorded more severe drops.
In April this year, new heavy commercial vehicle registrations in the EU declined by seven percent to 18,930 units, compared to April 2011. In the month in question, the EU registered a 6.9 percent drop in registrations of new trucks compared to the same month last year, with 25,447 new trucks recorded. In the meantime, new registrations of buses and coaches were were once again the only segment to record positive results with a 0.6 percent year-on-year increase, mainly driven by the British market (+13.3 percent).