Good year for Scania and Volvo as truck registrations up again
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By David Wilcox
OCTOBER WAS another strong month for truck registrations, with Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data showing registrations of new trucks of 6-tonne GVVV and above 31% up on the same month last year. The truck market is 6.1% ahead for the year to date and on target to meet the forecasts of 8% to 10% growth for the year, despite the sluggish first half
The total of 4,599 registrations of new trucks of 6-tonne GVVV or more was the second highest monthly total this year. Mercedes-Benz is haying a solid year, with truck registrations up 11.5% and market share up a tad to 16.9% Growth was strongest at the heavy end of the market: tractor units were up 37.1% on October
2012, while rigid chassis above 16-tonne GVVV were up 34.3%. In contrast, numbers of rigids from 6-tonne to 16-tonne GVVV rose just 13.1%.
This year is turning out to be an excellent year for the two Swedish marques, Scania and Volvo, with registrations for the year so far up 27.1% and 20.5% respectively. Both are benefiting from the strength of the tractor unit and heavy rigid sectors. In contrast, market leader Daf is feeling the effect of the weaker market for rigid chassis below 16-tonne GVVV and its registrations for the year to date have slipped 2.1%, taking its
market share down from 30.3% to 28%.
The only other marques trailing last year's total at this point are Renault Trucks (down 16.8%), MAN (down 2.9%) and Hino (down 12.5%).
After slumping 7.9% last year, the van market is also back on track, with October registrations for all vans up to 3.5-tonne GVVV up 26.3%. This has prompted the SMMT to raise its forecast for the 2013 van market to 264,100, just over 10% more than last year.
Ford remains the comfortable market leader, with a 25.4% share, ahead of Volkswagen (13.8%) and Vauxhall (10.7%).