In April, demand for new commercial vehicles decreased by 11.9 per cent in the EU zone, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).
New registrations fell by 1.2 per cent in France, 1.6 per cent in Germany, 13.3 per cent in the UK, 28.9 per cent in Spain and 38.6 per cent in Italy.
In the heavy-duty segment, 18,930 new vehicles were registered in April, or 7 per cent less than in the same month last year.
Overall, performances varied across countries as Germany (+3.5 per cent) and the UK (+11.8 per cent) posted growth, whereas France (-6.8 per cent), Spain (-13.6 per cent) and Italy (-41.1 per cent) saw their demand decline.
Four months into the year, new heavy truck registrations were down 4.2 per cent, amounting to 75,189 units. The largest markets, Germany (-1.2 per cent) and France (-1.4 per cent) contracted the least. Spain (-19.9 per cent) and Italy (-23.8 per cent) experienced more considerable downturns, while the UK was the only market to post growth (+14.7 per cent).