According to the latest information from The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the EU’s commercial vehicle market delivered a mixed performance in the first three quarters of 2026, against a backdrop of rising energy prices. Van registrations remained broadly stable, while the truck segment recorded growth, reflecting a recovery from a low base. The bus market performed strongly, posting solid growth. Meanwhile, electrically chargeable vehicles continued to gain market share, although uptake remains below the required pace.
New EU van market remained flat, with 1,073,427 vehicles registered. Performance across the four largest markets was mixed: Spain recorded a solid increase (+6.9%), whereas registrations declined in Germany (-4.1%), Italy (-5.1%) and France (-5.6%).
New EU truck registrations increased by 7.5%, amounting to 245,079 units. Growth was driven by relatively strong demand for heavy trucks (+8.5%), alongside a 2.5% increase in medium truck registrations. Among the major markets, Poland (+20.5%) and Spain (+13.2%) attained the strongest gains, with Germany also posting an increase (+2.5%). In contrast, registrations in France declined by 1.6% over the first three quarters of 2026.
New EU bus registrations increased by 15.2% year to date to 32,695 units. Italy recorded the strongest growth among the largest markets (+34.4%), followed by France (+10.5%) and Germany (+10.1%). Spain also posted an increase (+1.3%), albeit at a slower pace. At the same time, Poland saw a remarkable 68.6% surge in registrations, making it the EU’s fifth largest bus market.
Diesel remained the preferred choice for new van buyers in the EU, despite registrations declining by 4.3% to 838,830 units, with its market share falling from 81.7% in the nine months of 2025 to 78.1%. Electrically chargeable vans grew by 38.2%, capturing 14.1% market share, an increase from 10.2% in Q1 to Q3 2025. Petrol models decreased by 19.8%, reducing their market share to 3.7% (down from 4.6%). Hybrid van registrations recorded strong growth (+35.6%), although they accounted for only 3.4% of the EU market.
Diesel maintained its dominance in the truck market in the first three quarters of 2026. Diesel trucks accounted for 91.7% of new EU registrations, up 6.6% year to date. Electrically chargeable trucks grew by 49.8%, securing 5.3% of the market. Germany (+77.2%), France (+60.2%), and the Netherlands (+57.5%), drove this growth, together accounting for 74% of all electrically chargeable truck registrations in the EU.