Truck Sales Rise 4% in Europe

Demand for commercial trucks in the EU28 rose to 158,000 units in April from 151,400 units a year earlier, according to industry group ACEA. It was the eighth consecutive month of growth.

Total truck sales in the region through the first four months of 2014 climbed 8% to 618,400 vehicles.

Sales of light commercial vehicles, which account for 83% of Europe's truck market, advanced 5% to 130,500 units in April. Heavy-truck volume was flat at 18,500. Demand for medium- and heavy-duty buses jumped 20% to 3,200.

Last month's sales growth was helped by strong sales increases in such eastern Europe markets as Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania.

Results were mixed for Europe's top five markets. Sales rose less than half a percentage point to 37,000 units in France, surged 55% to 12,300 units in Spain and climbed 15% to 11,100 units in Italy.

But April truck sales slipped 2% to 26,600 units in Germany and 4% to 23,800 units in the U.K.