Truck Sales Stall in Europe

Buyers registered 158,600 commercial vehicles across Europe last month, up only 500 units more than in August 2016, trade group ACEA reports. Sales in July grew 5% to 156,200 vehicles.

August sales were mixed in the region’s five largest markets. Volumes last month rose in France (+15% to 26,500 trucks) and Spain (+21% to 14,500). But deliveries fell in Germany (-2% to 30,000 vehicles), Italy (-23% to 10,900) and the U.K. (-2% to 18,700).

ACEA says last month’s sales of light trucks were flat at 129,900 units. Demand for heavy-duty trucks (16 metric tons and above) slipped 2% to 18,600 rigs.

Commercial truck sales for January-August totaled 1.61 million units, up 4% from the same eight-month period in 2016.