Increase of 45.9% in addition to 5 t, 183% for carriers: glorious indicators from September deserve to be put into perspective with what happened a year ago on the regulatory level. Overall, the market shows a slight decline – 1.3%.
The impact of regulations on registrations of new heavy goods vehicles over 5 tonnes is experiencing long-term shocks. As proof, the month of September, which, with 3,438 VN, ended with an increase of 45.9% compared to the same month in 2023, but with a volume that absolutely does not reflect the dynamism that supposes this growth rate, since it is some 300 units lower than the average for the month over the period 2014-2023.
A short September 2024 therefore, but much better than September 2023, a month which had suffered the full brunt of the consequences of the numerous registrations and pre-registrations in previous months due to the new regulations on the tachograph.
Lowest tractor volume since 2009
Porters had particularly suffered: 634 VN, the worst volume ever recorded at the end of this month. This last fact explains the boom in the category a year later: +183%, to 1,797 registrations, which is, this time, an excellent volume, more than 400 units higher than the average for the month; a performance which is undoubtedly also due to the GSR 2 regulation which came into force in July and for which bodybuilders obtained exemptions.
The tractors shine much less. Already devastated in September 2023 (– 22.6%), they fell even lower, although only – 4.7% but with only 1,641 registrations, the lowest volume for this month since… 2009 .
Scania is doing well
This contrast is reflected in the nine-month performance. Carriers posted +9.3%, tractors – 9.3%, for an overall balance of –1.3%, to 37,202 VN. September made it possible to redress the balance a little, which, at the end of August, had gone into the red (– 4.5%) for the first time this year. The strength in the small segment of vehicles from 5.1 to 15.9 t cannot be denied: + 153% in September, + 16.1%, to 4,833 VN, since January.
September’s growth was not shared among the seven main manufacturers. The month actually gave rise to very opposite results, strong increases on the one hand (+ 283% for Iveco, + 120% for MAN), slight declines on the other (– 3.4% for Mercedes- Benz, – 2.2% for Daf). For the moment, cumulatively, three have a volume that increases from one year to the next: Scania (+ 6.7%), Renault Trucks (+ 4.7%) and Iveco (+ 0.7%) . Two others are not far away with less than a hundred units: Volvo Trucks (– 0.9%) and Daf (– 1.3%).
Jean-Luc Foucret
