Newly released figures from the ACEA show that the May downturn was seen across all segments, with an overall 7.4% decrease to a total of 135,587 new vehicles.

The Spanish market remained stable (+0.4%), while the UK (-4.0%), Germany (-9.6%), France (-11.2%) and Italy (-16.2%) registered fewer vehicles than in May 2012.

Year to date, a total of 681,337 new commercial vehicles were registered in the region, with the UK being the only major market to expand (+8.0%). The decline ranged from -9.4% in France to -10.2% in Spain, -10.9% in Germany and -21.3% in Italy.

Looking at new light commercial vehicles up to 3.5t, this sector fell 7.2% in May, amounting to 110,100 units. Out of the major markets, only Spain performed better than in May last year, while the UK (-3.8%), German (-8.2%), French (-11.1%) and Italian (-18.6%) markets all contracted.

Five months into the year, the EU recorded 559,906 new vans, or 6.4% less than in January-May 2012. The UK expanded by 13.0%, while Spain (-9.0%), France (-9.2%) and Germany (-9.6%) performed similarly and the Italian market faced a double-digit downturn (-22.5%).

For new heavy commercial vehicles over 16t (excluding Buses & Coaches), registrations amounted to 17,392 units in May, or 6.9% less than in the same month last year. The Italian market posted a slight growth (+3.4%), while the UK remained stable (-0.8%) and the Spanish (-7.4%), German (-11.6%) and French (-12.1%) contracted.

From January to May, a total of 82,487 new heavy trucks was recorded in the EU, representing a 12.5% decrease compared to the same period a year earlier. All major markets recorded negative results ranging from -10.5% in Italy to -11.5% in the UK, -13.3% in France, -13.8% in Germany and -17.6% in Spain.

Within the sector for new commercial vehicles over 3.5t (excluding Buses & Coaches) registrations decreased by 8.0% in May, with 23,048 new registrations in the EU. Demand increased by 2.6% in Italy but was down in all other major markets, from -2.8% in the UK to -8.5% in Spain, -12.5% in France and -13.3% in Germany.

Over five months, the EU recorded a total of 109,233 new trucks over the period, or 12.7% less than in the first five months of last year. A double-digit drop was recorded across all significant markets, with registrations down by 12.8% in France, 13.0% in the UK, 13.9% in Italy, 14.4% in Germany and 17.5% in Spain.