EU Commercial Vehicle Market Up in 2015

In December 2015, EU demand for new commercial vehicles registered a strong increase (+14.8 percent), totaling 191,826 units over the month and marking one year of consecutive growth.

by Staff

January 26, 2016

2 min to read

In December 2015, EU demand for new commercial vehicles registered a strong increase (+14.8 percent), totaling 191,826 units over the month and marking one year of consecutive growth, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

Growth was sustained across all commercial vehicle segments. Italy (+23.2 percent), Spain (+23.0 percent), the UK (+20.3 percent) ended the year posting double digit percentage gains in December, followed by France (+9.4 percent) and Germany (+8.7 percent), according to ACEA research.

In 2015, the EU market showed a consistent uplift (+12.4 percent) and rose for the third year in a row, exceeding 2 million commercial vehicles registered (2,079,322). During the year, Spain (+36.4 percent) showed the most significant increase, followed by the UK (+16.7 percent), Italy (+13.2 percent), Germany (+4.3 percent) and France (+3.1 percent) – all performing better than 2014, according to ACEA research.

In December 2015, new registrations of light commercial vehicles totaled 160,518 units, up (+13.5 percent) compared to December 2014. This marked the 28th consecutive month of growth in the segment. Italy (+23.9 percent), Spain (+23.8 percent), the UK (+14.6 percent), France (+8.7 percent), and Germany (+5.6 percent) all posted registration gains, according to ACEA.

In 2015, 1,713,850 new vans were registered in the EU (+11.6 percent). All major markets saw their demand for vans increase over the year, in particular Spain (+36.1 percent), the UK (+15.6 percent) and Italy (+12.4 percent), according to the ACEA research.

In December 2015, new truck registrations in the EU totaled 27,315 units, up (+23.7 percent) compared to December 2014. The UK market finished the year strongly (+75.6 percent) after showing decline in October. Also Spain (+19.5 percent), Germany (+19.5 percent), France (+13.2 percent) and Italy (+10.1 percent) showed large upturns at the end of 2015, according to the ACEA research.

In 2015, 325,689 new trucks (+16.2 percent) were registered in the EU. Looking at the five major markets, Spain (+38.4 percent), the UK (+24.5 percent), Italy (+21.3 percent) and France (+10.3 percent) posted the highest increases over the year, according to the ACEA research.

Topics:United Kingdom Spain Italy Germany France Commercial Vehicles ACEA Global Fleet

More Global Fleet

A person holding a clipboard and writing on an inspection checklist beside the wheel of a large white vehicle, likely conducting a fleet or safety inspection.

Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-time Prevention

Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Learn more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab.

Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.

Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Fleet Costs Are Rising: Here’s How Leaders Are Responding

Fleet leaders are under pressure to reduce costs, adapt to economic uncertainty, and make smarter decisions. See how peers across North America are responding with real data, proven strategies, and forward-looking insights. Download the 2026 Market Pulse Report to benchmark your strategy and uncover where you can gain an edge.