The motor finance sector witnessed varied trends in EU commercial vehicle registrations in 2024, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (Acea).

New van sales experienced an 8.3% upsurge, reaching 1,586,688 units, with all four key markets showing positive results.

Conversely, new truck registrations saw a 6.3% decline, totalling 327,896 units, with a significant drop in heavy-truck sales.

Meanwhile, bus sales rose by 9.2%, with a total of 35,579 units sold.

In the van segment, Spain led the growth with a 13.7% increase, followed by Germany at 8.4%, France at 1.1%, and Italy at 0.9%.

Diesel vans remained the top choice among EU buyers, with a 10.5% rise in registrations and an 84.5% market share. Petrol models held steady with a 6% market share, while electrically chargeable vans saw a 9.1% decrease in registrations.

Hybrid-electric vans also experienced a decline, accounting for just 2% of the market.

In the truck segment, Germany, France, and Italy faced registration declines of 6.9%, 2.9%, and 0.7%, respectively, while Spain recorded a 12% increase.

Diesel trucks maintained dominance despite a 6.2% fall in registrations, representing 95.1% of the market.

For buses, electrically chargeable models surged by 26.8%, boosting their market share to 18.5%.

Italy’s impressive growth of 161.7% made it the largest market for this power type, while Spain also saw a significant increase.

The German market grew by 4.9%, but France experienced an 11.4% decline. Diesel buses grew by 11.1%, increasing their market share to 63.1%.