The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has revealed a 13.2% drop in new EU van registrations, with the three largest markets contributing to the decline.
Germany’s market experienced the largest drop, with a 14.7% reduction in registrations. France and Italy also saw notable declines of 12% and 11.7%, respectively. In contrast, Spain recorded an 11.2% rise in new van registrations.
The truck segment did not fare any better, with a 15.4% decrease in new EU truck registrations, amounting to 155,367 units.
The heavy-truck segment was particularly affected, with a 14.5% fall in registrations, while the medium-truck segment saw a 20% decline.
All major markets, including Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, faced double-digit percentage drops.
The bus segment also reported a reduced demand compared to the first half of the previous year, with a total of 18,123 units registered.
Despite the overall reduction in vehicle registrations, there are changes in fuel type preferences among buyers.
Diesel-powered vans still lead the market but have seen a decrease in market share from 84.3% to 82%, with a 15.6% fall in registrations.
Petrol-powered vans now hold a 4.9% share after a 29.8% decline.
Electrically chargeable vans have increased their market share to 9.5%, up from 5.8% in the previous year. Hybrid vans, although growing by 7.1%, remain a smaller portion of the market with a 2.6% share.
The truck market continues to be dominated by diesel, with a 93.6% share despite a 15.4% drop in registrations.
Electrically chargeable trucks have made gains, now holding a 3.6% market share, with the Netherlands showing a significant 187.6% increase in registrations in this category.
In the bus sector, the share of electrically chargeable bus registrations has risen from 16.4% to 21.6%.
Hybrid-electric buses have declined by 35.5%, and diesel buses, while still predominant, have decreased to a 64.7% market share.
In a statement, the ACEA said: “The first half of 2025 proved challenging for the EU’s commercial vehicle market, marked by significant registration declines in key markets, amidst an already challenging economic context.
“While the electrically chargeable share increased, the growth trajectory is still not fast enough as market uptake continues to be stymied by the near absence of essential enabling conditions.”
A recent ACEA report also revealed a drop of 1.9% in the EU’s new car registrations for H1 2025, compared to the same period last year.
“EU commercial vehicle registrations decline in H1 2025: ACEA report” was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand.
