November CV market up and heading for another good year
- November commercial vehicle registrations up 3.7 per cent.
- Year to date figures up by 4.0 per cent to 292,250 units and growth looks
set to better the SMMT’s July 2001 forecast of 303,800 units for the year.
- The SMMT now expects a total CV market of 307,000 this year. The total for
2000 was 298,043.
‘This is very good news,’ said SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan. Sustained
growth in CV registrations during 2001 has been a welcome surprise for the industry.
Clearly there are some economic and market uncertainties unfolding, but demand,
especially for heavy vans and light trucks has been strong and should continue.
We’re confident this year’s market will top 307,000, easily beating last year’s
298,403.’
The main growth has been at the heavier end of the light commercial vehicle
sector, mostly for large vans, but more heavy truck registrations over the past
few months helped boost the market so that total CV registrations in 2001 beat
the 2000 level.
November – more strong growth in heavy van registrations
- LCV registrations rose 2.8 per cent in November, an extra 612 vehicles
against last November’s total. - Heavy vans again made most of the running in the LCV sector, with an extra
1,672 vans compared to the same month’s total last year. - LCV demand over the year to date was up 4.7 per cent.
Light van registration growth slower through November
Registrations of car-derived vans up to 1.8 tonnes slowed through November
in contrast to the growing registrations for heavier vans from 2.6 to 3.5 tonnes
and for commercial 4×4 utilities growth Total LCV registrations rose by 2.8
per cent in November. Heavier vans continued to drive recent developments and
changes in this part of the UK commercial vehicle market. Registrations for
the month at 12,640 were up by 15.2 per cent on the same month last year. These
heavier vans in the 2.6 to 3.5 tonnes category took 56 per cent of all light
commercial vehicle registrations compared to 50 per cent last November.
Two axle artics surge while rigids slow slightly
Bus and coach registrations rise
Total truck registrations up strongly
Total truck registrations grew 6.9 per cent in November. Registrations for
the first eleven months of the year remain 2.6 per cent above last year’s figures,
showing that underlying demand has remained reasonably sound.
November’s registrations gave no sign that sales were ‘pulled forward’ to beat
the deadline to register remaining Euro 2 trucks before the end of September.
New trucks registered since 1 October must meet tougher Euro 3 emission standards.
As a group, rigid registrations fell 2.3 per cent in November compared to
the same month last year. For the first 11 months, however, growth is still
strong at 5.1 per cent. Light two axle rigid pack registrations were very brisk.
Registrations of the lighter two axle rigids in the 3.5 to 7.4 tonne category
are up 55.5 per cent for the month. And reflecting a sustained trend for the
year as a whole, registrations were up by 32.6 per cent for the first eleven
months of the year.
Artic registration growth was up 26.3 per cent for the month. This was entirely
due to surge in registrations of two-axle artics, up by 99.1 per cent compared
to November last year. This pushed the year to date increase in two-axle artic
registrations up to 12.9 per cent.
Bus and coach registrations also increase, albeit from a very low base
Bus and coach registrations, at 328, increased by 32.3 per cent year on year
in November. This is the third monthly increase this year. Because of the very
long delivery times, these registrations probably reflect orders taken in the
spring. The registration growth is a welcome contrast to what has been a generally
strong downward trend for the past 18 months. The annual total is likely to
end the year above 3,700 units.
