Mathilde Carlier
Research Expert covering transportation and logistics
Medium and heavy commercial vehicle market in Europe - statistics & facts
Driver shortage surged in Europe, with forecasts expecting this workforce to drop further in 2022. Around 15 percent of European driver positions were expected to be unfilled in 2021. This dwindling workforce is one side of a commercial vehicle industry that struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic when vehicle production was halted and goods demand dropped. Europe's medium and heavy commercial vehicle production reached around 470,400 units in 2021, approximately 13 percent below 2019 truck production. The European market for medium and heavy commercial vehicles (MHCV)—all motor vehicles over 3.5 metric tons used in a commercial capacity—comprised some 341,600 sales in 2021, close to 12 percent less than 2019's sales volume.
These challenges are partly reflected in the industry's financial performance. European Union motor vehicle manufacturing industry amounted to nearly 940.5 billion euros in revenue in 2020, down 19 percent year-over-year. The EU MHCV and bus industry was worth just under 12.9 billion euros in exports that same year, increasing to nearly 13 billion euros in 2021. Most of these exports resulted from intra-Europe trade—the United Kingdom was the leading country of destination of EU exports.
Germany reported the most MHCV sales, far above France and the United Kingdom. In 2021, the German MHCV market was around 79,000 units, compared to 45,000 trucks sold in France. While German sales were the highest in the European Union, Poland reported the largest truck fleet, nearly 1.2 million vehicles.
These challenges are partly reflected in the industry's financial performance. European Union motor vehicle manufacturing industry amounted to nearly 940.5 billion euros in revenue in 2020, down 19 percent year-over-year. The EU MHCV and bus industry was worth just under 12.9 billion euros in exports that same year, increasing to nearly 13 billion euros in 2021. Most of these exports resulted from intra-Europe trade—the United Kingdom was the leading country of destination of EU exports.
Germany At The Center of The MHCV Market
This consequential market is not limited to trucks over 3.5 metric tons but also includes passenger buses, which are an integral part of manufacturers' sales and deliveries in the region. European brands were the most popular in 2021. At around 19 percent, Germany's Mercedes had the highest market share in the MHCV market. Europe amounted to 13.1 billion euros in sales revenue for Daimler Truck—Mercedes-Benz's parent company—and over 72,800 truck sales. The company was followed swiftly by MAN and DAF, holding 15 and 16 percent of the market. The leading seven companies in the region were all European, with two German companies reporting over a third of the total sales.Germany reported the most MHCV sales, far above France and the United Kingdom. In 2021, the German MHCV market was around 79,000 units, compared to 45,000 trucks sold in France. While German sales were the highest in the European Union, Poland reported the largest truck fleet, nearly 1.2 million vehicles.
Towards A More Sustainable Future
The production outlook for commercial vehicles and buses suggests a future focus on more sustainable vehicle options. As of 2021, new registrations for electrically-chargeable buses and trucks reached 5,400 units, below other alternative fuels and petrol and diesel vehicles. The lack of popularity for electric trucks is due to the lack of charging accessibility for long-haul goods transport, which uses vehicles taking longer to recharge. Projections expect this will change by 2035 when internal combustion engine trucks are forecast to only account for half of the Western European production of heavy-duty trucks, with battery-electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles representing 28 percent of the market. Poland and Spain spearheaded the shift towards alternative fuel adoption in 2021, with a new energy MHCV fleet of around 8,700 and 7,600 vehicles.
