The European commercial vehicle market recorded a positive first half of 2026, despite geopolitical headwinds. Growth in the van and truck segments reflected a recovery from a low base, while the bus segment showed strong growth. Electrically-chargeable vehicles continued to gain market share, but uptake remains below the required pace, constrained by insufficient enabling conditions, notably in the heavier vehicle segments.
New EU van sales grew by 1.9% to 742,759 units. Growth across the four largest markets, however, remained uneven: Spain posted a solid increase (+7.9%), whilst registrations declined in Germany (-4.6%), Italy (-4.7%) and France (-2.1%).
New EU truck registrations also increased by 9.8%, totalling 171,933 units. This growth was driven by strong demand for heavy trucks (+11.1%), alongside a 2.8% increase in medium-truck registrations. Among major markets, Poland (+25.9%) and Spain (+13.2%) achieved the strongest gains, with Germany also contributing (+7.1%). In contrast, the French market remained relatively flat compared to the first half of 2025. (....)