Truck manufacturers need a “massive” spike in sales in December to hit the predicted total of 45,000 vehicle registrations over 6-tonne for 2013 – the last year Euro-5 trucks can be built for sale in the European Union.
Daf Trucks UK MD Ray Ashworth said December registrations would have to be around 6,500 compared with more typical sales of 1,000 units if the expected 10% surge in sales in 2013 was to materialise.
In the summer, most manufacturers were predicting the UK truck market over 6t would hit between 42,000 and 45,000 units in 2013 after a slow start to the year, and SMMT data for the year to November 2013 revealed registrations were 9.4% up on the previous year at 38,715. Including rigid trucks between 3,5t and 6t, the market was up just 6.5% at 44,867.
Truck makers have also predicted sales in 2014 will slump 15% on 2013 levels as operators postpone purchasing Euro-6, but the picture will be complicated by the number of derogated Euro-5 trucks built in 2013 for registration in 2014.
Euro-5 trucks built before 30 September 2013 can be stockpiled and registered up until the end of 2014, though all Euro-5 trucks made since October 2013 must be registered by the end of 2013. All vehicles built from January 2014 must conform to Euro-6.
The derogation was intended to allow rigid chassis to be built by the OEM with enough time for the operator to get the vehicles completed by a body builder. Few rigid Euro-5 trucks would have been built after 1 October 2013, as it would be difficult to get them bodied and registered by 31 December 2013.
Tractor units can however be built and registered right up to the end of 2013.
