The data shows that demand rose +7.6% last month, totalling 142,596 units. Significant growth prevailed in all segments, including the truck segment, following a sharp decline the month before. Four of the five largest markets in Europe posted monthly gains, in particular Spain (+25.7%) and the UK (+23.6) that recorded double‐digit growth.

For new light commercial vehicles up to 3.5t – “vans” – last month saw new registrations of light commercial vehicles total 117,138 units, or 7.4% more than in January 2014. This marked the 17th consecutive month of growth in this segment, which accounts for the majority of sales in the commercial vehicle market. Spain (+31.2%), the UK (+21.7%), Italy (+2.4%) and Germany (+1.4%) contributed positively to the upturn, while France  (-8.6%) performed less well than in January 2014.

For new heavy commercial vehicles over 16t (excluding Heavy Buses & Coaches) – “heavy trucks” – January 2015 results were diverse, with France (‐21.8%), Italy (-2.9%) and Spain (-2.4%) facing a downturn, while Germany (+22.3%) and the UK (+58.2%) posted double‐digit growth. Overall, there was an expansion (+8.4%) across the region.

In the sector for new medium & heavy commercial vehicles over 3.5t (excluding Buses & Coaches) – “trucks” – January results for trucks were similar to the heavy truck segment, with France (-20.5%) and Italy (-3.2%) performing less well than in January 2014, while Germany (+16.4%) and the UK (+35.1%) recorded a significant increase. Overall, the EU recorded 22,485 new trucks, or 6.7% more than in January 2014.